rEMEMBER wHO yOU aRE

tHE Life Stories of

Love Clayton and Elizabeth Bitner Dunford
and Their Forebears

Robert R. Dunford, Editor

Gloucester Crescent International

Snellville, Georgia

Copyright 2005. The L. Clayton and Elizabeth Bitner Dunford Family Association
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without
permission in writing from the publisher, Gloucester Crescent International, 1657-A Ramblewood Way,
Snellville, GA 30078
ISBN: 0-931151-01-8
Library of Congress Cataloging - in-Publication Data
Remember Who You Are - The Life Stories of L. Clayton and Elizabeth Bitner Dunford and Their
Forebears/Edited by Robert R. Dunford
ISBN: 0-931151-01-8
1. Love Clayton Dunford. 2. Elizabeth Bitner Dunford. 3. Carlos Leroy Dunford. 4. Hazel Love
Dunford. 5. Roy Halseth Bitner. 6. Irma Felt Bitner. 7. Families
Printed in the United States of America

Dedication
To My Grandchildren,

There flows in your veins, the blood of a long line of chosen people, favored of the Lord, that you, each
of you, might have life in abundant measure.
Keep your own aim high, higher than you can possibly reach, else whats a heaven for?
Remember these words of your Grandpa Dunford as they have been given to me and my father before, the
rallying cry of the Dunfords everywhere and at all times:
REMEMBER WHO YOU ARE AND ACT ACCORDINGLY.
Love always,
Your Grandpa,

L. Clayton Dunford

Source: L. Clayton Dunford. To My Grandchildren. Some Things I Remember About Your Grandma Dunford... December 1, 1969

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Each one of Clayton and Elizabeth Dunfords children and their spouses contributed to this work in one or more areas such as
reserach, writing, funding, content, editing or in support thereof:
Carlos and Judy Hansen Dunford
David and Janet Cannon Dunford
Randon and Gayle Dunford Wilson
Douglas and Annette Coles Dunford
Robert and Jill Wonnacott Dunford
Daniel and Penny Langton Dunford
Ronald and Carolyn Dunford Kasteler
Robin and Gloria Dunford Lloyd
John and Pamela Witt Dunford

In addition, we are deeply indebted to others without whose efforts this book would not be what it is:
Joan Bitner Bennett
Burns L. Dunford
Jeddy L. Dunford
Robert F. Bitner
Mary Elizabeth (Betsey) May Campbell
Mae C. Dunford
Eleanor Love Fullmer Christensen
Bill and Suzanne Atwood Dunford
Sandy Dunford Meyer
Michael and Brittany Dunford Weiler
Bryan and Emily Parkinson Dunford
Helen Bitner Wilcox
Bryce L. Dunford
Ever Green Foundation
Historical Department of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Member Services
Shamrock Companies

Table of Contents
Chapter One -

Love Clayton Dunford

Chapter Two -

Elizabeth Bitner Dunford

95

Chapter Three - Carlos Leroy Dunford

151

Chapter Four - Hazel Love Dunford

163

Chapter Five - Roy Halseth Bitner

185

Chapter Six - Irma Felt Bitner

201

Registry of Descendants -

223

Index -

235

Chapter One

LOVE CLAYTON DUNFORD

1913 - 1976

By David C. and Robert R. Dunford

Significant Dates and Events

in the life of l. clayton dunford
L. Clayton Dunford born December 16th in Logan, Utah.
Father, Carlos Leroy Dunford, receives degree; moves to SLC.
Carlos Leroy receives MA degree.
Carlos Leroy dies from the effects of a stroke.
Clayton meets Elizabeth Bitner at LDS High.
Mother, Hazel, loses job, starts bakery; Clayt graduates from H.S
Clayton visits Elizabeth in California, starts their courtship
Clayton and Elizabeth are engaged.
Clayton marries Elizabeth. Living in side of mothers home.
Carlos born; Hazel dies of cancer.
Clayton serves stake mission.
David born; 7th South bakery (No. 1) built.
Gayle born; new home at 664 So. 9th East, SLC, Utah.
Brother Stephen joins bakery; Japanese attack Pearl Harbor.
Douglas born; World War II begins.
Paul Stevens joins bakery; 21st South operation started.
Robert born; Clayton baptizes Carlos; end of WW II.
Daniel born; Clayton baptizes David.
Polio episode; Home paid for; Cabin begun.
Cabin in Emigration Canyon under way.
Clayton baptizes Douglas; Korean War.
Carolyn born; Clayton enters Dunwoody School of Baking.
Called to ward bishopric; moves family to 1835 Laird Avenue.
Gloria born; Clayton baptizes Robert.
John born; Clayton baptizes Daniel.
Carlos called on mission to New England.
Clayton baptizes Carolyn; gets his Eagle; returns with

Carlos from mission; Davids mission call to Australia.
Clayton baptizes Gloria; David returns from mission; Douglas

called on mission to Britain.
Claytons 7th South bakery (No. 1) closes; A&W fails.
John is baptized; Douglas returns from British mission.
Clayton called as bishop; Roberts mission call to Argentina.

1913
1917
1919
1921
1930
.1931
1933
1935
1936
1937
1938
1939
1940
1941
1942
1943
1945
1947
1948
1949
1950
1951
1952
1953
1955
1957

Birth
Age 3
Age 5
Age 7
Age 16
Age 17
Age 19
Age 21
Age 22
Age 23
Age 24
Age 25
Age 26
Age 27
Age 28
Age 29
Age 31
Age 33
Age 34
Age 35
Age 36
Age 37
Age 38
Age 39
Age 41
Age 43

1959

Age 45

1961
1962
1963
1964

Age 47
Age 48
Age 49
Age 50

Daniel called on mission to Mexico; Robert returns from mission.

Daniel returns from mission; Stephen resigns bakery; Burns president.
Clayton resigns bakery; starts at HiLand Dairy; Elizabeth dies of cancer.
Clayton released as bishop; released at HiLand; marries Dawna Whipple.
Clayton and Dawna divorce.
Clayton marries Grace Brinkerhoff Higgs.
John called on mission to Spain.
Clayton dies August 19th in the Provo Temple

1966
1968
1969
1970
1971
1972
1974
1976

Age 52
Age 54
Age 56
Age 56
Age 57
Age 58
Age 60
Age 62

Introduction
As the patriarch placed his hands upon the 21-year-old young
mans head, promised blessings and counsel poured forth, presaging his future:
If from this hour you dedicate yourself in earnest prayer, unto your
Heavenly Father night and morningHe will be unto you your
Guardian Angel, the great teacher you will be moved to tears of
joy and gladness as sudden impulses of light and truth will come
to you I bless you that the believing blood in your veins may
manifest itself in works of righteousness, in deeds of love, in acts
of mercy so live that your example will be a living witness and
testimony that you know God is your Father, that Joseph Smith is
a prophet, that this is the Church of Christ. These things may become very definite in your life and may be the dominant influence to
direct you in all you do... Select wisely the companion of your choice
and in the Temple of God complete that union Make your home
life desirable and beautiful for love and gentleness. Be one with your
companion in all things When your way seems uncertain and
conditions are forbidding, go to your God and seek His fellowship,
in everything, small and great Never say a harsh word, never
seek revenge for it is not sweetI bless you with every gift and grace
essential for your happiness here and your glory hereafter1
The young man was Love Clayton Dunford. He would marry
his high school sweetheart the following year. They would later
become parents of nine children and ancestors of a numerous posterity. Readers may judge for themselves, as they review the next 41
years of his life until his death at age 62, whether Clayton exerted
himself to follow faithfully the counsel given by the patriarch, and
whether he lived up to the privileges and promises pronounced in
his patriarchal blessing.


L.C. Dunford, as he was known by many of his associates, was

a remarkable man. Indeed, this phrase only hints of the wonderful qualities and character of this husband, father, grandfather,
businessman, church leader, friend, and gentleman. He truly was
a gentle, humble, and generous man, and the reader may be surprised to learn of his many accomplishments, talents and interests.
He faced life with confidence and optimism and sometimes with
doubts, but always with an undeviating faith in Jesus Christ and a
testimony of the Restoration of the Gospel, and the truthfulness
of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
One could easily have selected a more grandiose title for this
work such as Memoirs of a Family Businessman or How to
Succeed as a Bishop and a Baker. But these titles would not have
described how Love Clayton Dunford saw himself. If the content
and quantity of material written in his journals is any measure,
Clayton saw himself first and foremost as a devoted husband and
concerned father; then as a faithful member of his church and
finally as a diligent and hard-working businessman. For example,
of approximately 140 topic entries in his first journal of nearly 300
pages, 97% relate to
his family in one way
or another. A man usually writes in his journal about that which
concerns him most.
Clayton wrote mostly
about his family.
In 1967
was asked by
dren to write
biography of

Clayton
his chilan autohis life.

Clayton, Stephen, and Hazel with Burns on lap.

the LDS Church

to the Northwest
and then went to
school.

He did so, and, in addition, he placed important items of correspondence and other memorabilia in a binder his children call
The Red Book. Thus, quite a bit is known about his beginnings from his own words and writing.

One day he was

asked to meet a
girl [Eleanor Hazel Love] from
Salt Lake City
who was arriving by train. She
was coming to the
John A. Widtsoe
home to see Leah
Clayton in foreground with parents and brothers
Dunford Widtsoe,
who was the wife of
President Widtsoe. Leah D. Widtsoe is the half-sister of my
father. Father met our Mother in the family Phaeton automobile.
Mother was also on the Board of Regents at this time. From this
meeting a friendship grew to deep love and marriage resulted.

Claytons Beginning and Early Years

The story of his life begins from the Autobiography
of L. Clayton Dunford:
My parents were Carlos Leroy Dunford and Eleanor
Hazel Love. Afton Love,

My older brother, Stephen, was firstborn (in Salt Lake City),

and I was born later on the 16th day of December, 1913, in the
little, yellow brick house next to the Bluebird across the street
from the A Building on the Aggie Campus. The Bluebird was
a favorite rendezvous and ice cream store of students and townsfolk alike. I remember very little about Logan for it was not long
after I was born that my parents moved to Salt Lake City upon
my fathers graduation, but I still am proud to say I am from
that college town. My folk on fathers side were originally from
the Bear Lake country around Montpelier, Idaho, and Northern
Utah, farmers all. Mother was from the big city. 2

Clayton at 18 months

mothers sister, has told me my

mother was the head of the
Domestic Science Department
at the Agriculture College,
[now Utah State University in
Logan, Utah] and my dad was
a freshman at the same school.
He had served a mission for

Clayton at two years, February, 1916

10

Carlos Leroy Dunford received his B.S. degree in Agriculture

from the USAC (Utah State Agricultural College) in Logan in 1917,
and his M.A. degree from the University of Utah in Salt Lake City
in 1919. He soon firmly established himself as a favorite teacher of
students and respected faculty member at Granite High School in
Salt Lake. Carlos was head of the Department of Agriculture from
the time of his graduation from USAC until the October before
his death. He had charge of the Boys Club work for the Granite
District for two years and was looking after their interests at the
Utah State Fair when he had the stroke that caused his death in
August, 1921.
Clayton continues his autobiography:
I was eight years old when Father died, and I clearly remember the
event. Grief stricken, I sat on the back steps of our old home on 8th
and cried and cried. I had helped take care of him during his illness
and convalescence. Mother leaned on me. Now Steve was to be the
head of the house, he being 17 months older than I. 3

worked all day, she didnt want to come home and start baking and
cooking for her family. So she put whatever she had her students
prepare that day in a little brown bag and that was dinner that
night for her family. One of her specialties was Egg Croquet
eggs prepared and then deep-fried. Although the boys might
not know in advance what they were going to have for dinner,
once they got to that little bag they would know what they were
having that night.3
In May of 1931, the LDS High School closed and Hazel was
out of a job. Her father suggested, Hazel, you make a good loaf
of bread, why dont you make a few loaves and sell them to your
neighbors? If it goes over well you could start your own baking
company. And thats what she did. Eleanor Hazel Love Dunford
was the founder and original baker of the product known for 50
years as Dunford 100 % Whole Wheat Bread.
Clayton adored his mother. He wrote,

Hazel was left with their three sons to support and raise. Her
training in Home Economics made it possible for her to teach
in the LDS High School. Her office was in the Lion House, the
former residence of Pres. Brigham Young near Temple Square in
Salt Lake City, where she conducted classes in the art of cooking,
dressmaking, and homemaking. Their morning routine consisted
of a wake-up rap from Hazel on the sleeping porch window where
Clayton and his two brothers, Steven and Burns, slept, followed by
a breakfast of milk and shredded wheat. After the three boys left
for school, Hazel would take the streetcar to work at LDS High
School.
When Hazel returned home in the afternoon after having

11

To tell about my mother is to tell about one of Gods noblest daughters. Left a widow, with 3 children to raise, she endeavored to be
both mother and father to us. Mother gained prominence through
the years as a Home Economist of note in the city and valley.
She also was a schoolteacher who loved her work and her students.
Upon graduation at the A.C. in the field of Home Economics,
she taught at various levels of education. Of course, she had to
take the time to bring her children into this world and make a home
for her husband. This she did admirably well. Our home was filled
with love and kind discipline. She taught us correct principles and a
love for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Continually urging us onward
in Priesthood activities, she herself was busy in MIA as a teacher
and President in the Forest Dale Ward of the Granite Stake for
many years. Only briefly could she attend Relief Society for her

days were of necessity occupied at her teaching profession.4

rola gave comfort to the living room, and it was my job to see
that the water tank was filled each day. This was to put moisture
into the air as it evaporated as mist from the heat. The patterned
rug on the floor was just the right size for marbles and games. A
transom over the door separating the kitchen and living rooms
was just right for tossing a beanbag through, a-la basketball.
An earlier Edison cylinder Victrola superceded a newer machine
which could play record discs, each powered by winding a spring
mechanism to turn the cord plate. Fun it was to wind up as continued playing allowed the speed to run down. A scratched record
resulted in a rythmich(sic) bump-bump after each revolution,
or, as often as not My Bonnie lies over ---My Bonnie lies over,
monotonously grinding until the needle was lifted over the slipped
groove into another channel.

ClaytonsBoyhood Home
The home in which Steven, Clayton, and Burns lived with
their mother was located on the west side of 8th East at 2314
South. It was made of red bricks and had a porch on the front
with three or four wooden steps going up from an old cracked
sidewalk. A huge cottonwood tree grew in the front
parking (a grassy area between the sidewalk and the
street) and provided welcome
shade throughout the long
hot summers. However, its
roots had grown so large that
they pushed the sidewalk up,
cracking the sidewalk in many
places, and making it almost
impossible to skip the rope or
ride a tricycle without hitting
the bumps and falling down
many times.

It was a happy
day when we were
to get a new furnace. Long had
the workman been
excavating
the
basement to get
enough space to
hold the [furnace
and a ]coal room
as well. Finally
it was completed,
and we could now
have central heating. Clinkers were
removed weekly
and ashes every
day. Hand shovel-

One of Claytons anecdotes deals with his memories

of living in his mothers home, the joy of central heating:
Clayton at three

Mothers home on 8th East was a moderate and comfortable home

but had none of the features, as we know them today. There was
no central heating because we could not afford a furnace, nor were
they very commonplace in our neighborhood either. A Heat12

Stephen and Clayton with Burns in the buggy

as feed for the chickens and pigs during the long winter months.
A favorite sport of the older ones was to shoot rats and vermin as
they tried, but failed, to clamber up to the enticing corn. I remember the chickens in their coops, patiently laying eggs for Grandma
Love to gather. Sometimes even we could collect them for her.
The call of her Here chick, chick, chick, always brought them
running to her as she sprayed
the ground with their feed.
The soft little yellow chicks
that came in the spring were
always somewhat of a mystery to me. Where did they
come from? Yet they were so
cuddly and warm. Their feet
tickled as they scampered over
your hands.

ing of coal later gave way to the great convenience of a Stokermatic. You had to be careful to keep foreign matter out of the
hopper, for a nail perhaps would escape notice and then there
would be a sheared gear pin and a worn gear to repair, noticeable only because no heat was being generated from lack of fuel
to the flames. 5

Claytons Boyhood Friends and Activities

Claytons story continues:
The ol swimming hole was at the end of 8th East just south
of what now is the Freeway over that street. That area was all
Loves Pasture at that time; no houses at all, just a great open
pasture of green grass, fertilized continually by the many cows
that were always there. My Dad (Carlos Leroy Dunford), would
take us down each night to watch him milk Bossy and throw a
few well-aimed squirts our way or at the open-mouthed cats that
gathered. The swimming hole was just that. We dammed up the
irrigation creek that meandered through the pasture. The mud
from the bank was just right for packing pat upon pat until the
water backed up behind deep enough to make the most glorious
swimming hole any kid could ever dream about. No girls allowed! No siree! A suit? Who ever heard of a swimming suit
around a he-mans swimmin hole? A girl just wouldnt dare
come around, or if she did, ker-plop what could she see anyway?
Nothin but bobbin heads.

Well, I played football in

the Nursery (now Fairmont
Park), Kick the Can N
Becky, on Ashton Avenue
under the ark lights on the
corner. I ran out in the cold
snow down to the corner
Clayton at five in a soldier uniform
and back without any shoes or
stocking on to cure the chill blains which plagued me every winter.
I suffered through the sultry summer with a sore foot which I
burned on hot coals dropped from a real steamroller, all because
I wouldnt wear shoes in the summer. I clambered into the back
of the horse-drawn ice wagon to swipe the chips that dropped
from the huge blocks of ice when cut into smaller pieces for the
ice boxes off the homes on the block. I followed the horse-drawn
wooden snow plow that cleaned the walks in front of our house

I remember playing in the hayloft at grandmas, making tunnels

in the hay and shoot-the shoots down to the ground floor from
a height above, usually ending in the cow stall. I remember the
raised corncrib holding stacks and stacks of dried corn to be used
13

after each early morning snow storm. I swung from the trees a-la
Tarzan to impress the onlookers below. I walked the back yard
fences and at Halloween time pushed over the little out-houses
everyone had. In other words, dear family, I lived a very normal,
active life of the typical Forest Dale family during the years of
early youth. Oh, nostalgia aint it wonderful.

salve on the wound, bind it up with clean cloth and let nature
heal the butchery. Nothing
to it.
But that was my dog, and
I didnt want to hurt him at
all. So, after all preparations were made, and in my
own merciful way, I decided
the operation would not
hurt so much if I operated
on the tail a little at a time!
Whack, Whack, Whack.
And so it was done. Yikes! 8

In the spring there was the garden to plant. Corns, beets, carrots,
radishes, lettuce, celery, potatoes, all were in my garden. That fall
we could sell fresh corn for 25 cents per dozen. The clear streams
yielded watercress to be gathered for selling door to door. Grandmother paid us 5 cents per quart for dandelion blossoms that she
brewed with hops and sugar for the best darn tasting spring tonic
you could imagine. 6
In his autobiography, Clayton tells the true story of how
his dog came to have that short, stubby tail described above.
He called this story A Short One, Or A Misunderstanding
Boy.

Clayton with favorite dog

Early Church Experiences

Hazel took her three children to Sunday School with her,
and Clayton continued that good habit until his death. His early
remembrances include the Forest Dale Ward in Granite Stake
where:

Old Fat was the neatest dog. He could lick any other dog
on the block and often did. But to us he was joyful barks and
wagging tail, even though but a short, stubby one. Airdale all
through, wire hair and all. He was a pal indeed. 7

A common cup was used at the Sacrament table; i.e., everyone

sipped a bit of the water it held before passing it to his neighbor.
Bread was broken at the table as now. It was always embarrassing to have the last swallow and not enough for your neighbor,
let alone to have the sanitation problem acute as it was. Further
improvement has led to disposable individual paper or plastic
cups for the same purpose and priests hands to be cleansed as
they are now on sealed individual packets of moistened paper to
be disposed of in a waste paper basket.

As was the style in those days, dogs were to have short tails.
Nature may have decreed otherwise so the only way to change
her edict was to operate on the said offending appendage. How I
loved my puppy dog! I wouldnt hurt him for all the money in the
world. But the long tail had to go! The only thing to do was to
hold him in my arms, lay his puppy tail over a wooden block, and
with a sharp ax---whack! no long tail. It was as easy as that.
After much yelping and whimpering, all you did was put some

14

My first experience as a little boy in public speaking was the opportunity to give a 2 minute talk
in Sunday School, although when asked I had erroneously supposed it was to help with the passing of
the Sacrament. That was what I really had wanted
to do. At the time it was a disappointment to be
asked to speak.9

were faithful and energetic participants in the

program. Hazel initialed many of the entries of
his accomplishments. Claytons Trail Builder Record Book has been scanned and is contained in
the family DVD (See the Various Trail Builder Record pages). The record annotates many
of his accomplishments. For instance, he read
7 chapters of the Book of Mormon, drank 4
glasses of water every day, fixed my clothes, and
stayed after Primary.

In those days children attended a Religion

Class on Wednesdays besides Primary on Mondays. The Dunfords ward and stake was a pilot
ward in the Church for the introduction of the
Trail building program in Primary. So Clayton
was a charter member of an early part of todays
Primary. As a Trail Builder, young men had to
pass Badge Tests to earn Trail Builder badges.

He was baptized at eight years of age and

upon reaching age twelve was ordained a deacon. Almost as important to him at the time was
the gift from his mother of a new suit of mans
clothes. Prior to this date all his Sunday clothes
were of the knee breeches or knickers style of
dress. Now as a young man he could wear long
pants for the first time. He was growing up.10

A few of the requirements were to:

1. Know the Trail Builders Hymn
2. Recite two scripture passages.
3. Tie a dog or other animal so that it will not choke or
get loose.
4. Direct a Stranger from your home to the nearest
garage, to the main road, to the next town.
5. Have a savings account of fifty or more cents
6. Know how to play Trail Builders and Indians.

There were many other required assignments, but also a lot of open space where a
member could write in other accomplishments.

Claytons Elementary and Junior High

School Years
Clayton attended kindergarten at Forest Elementary and remembers that:

Claytons Trailbuilder Book

Clayton was a good member of the Trail

Builders and both he and his mother, Hazel,
15

A huge, pot-bellied stove consumed stacks of wood

and coal, yielding not nearly enough heat for us on
the back row. Tops and Migs were the fun sports
for the boys, while jacks and jump the rope were the
girls favorites. The rest room was just a shed out in
back. The boys used the bang board. Never did

know what the girls used, but I guess they got along all right. Miss
Higgs was our teacher---in that school, that is.
Then back to Forest again for grades up to sixth. I had my share
of fights with the boys---just a lecture from the principal after a
bloody nose or two. I loved my teachers, all except the one in history.
I got mad at her because she threw a book at me from way across
the room. I wasnt doing nothin. Just scooting up and down the
aisles with one foot out in front of me like a cow catcher. I couldnt
help it if those guys didnt get out of the way. Gees----!
Rae was my girl at Forest and she taught me a lot about chivalry,
and how to act around
girls. No smooching,
not even in the shows,
although it was OK to
hold her hand. She expected me to be a gentleman and I was. Mother
told me all about girls.
What funny kids they
were except along about
the last year at Irving Jr.
High. Then they got to
be pretty neat. What
changed them? All of a
sudden-like, too! Wonder why Rae tossed me
over for some other guy?
I began to flex my athletic muscles at Irving
by playing on the school
Burns, Clayton, and Stephen
baseball and basketball

(L) Clayton ordained a teacher 30 Sept. 1928

R) Clayton ordained a priest 2 Aug. 1931

teams and swimming free style on the swimming team. Great

sports! 11
It must have been about this time at Irving Junior High School,
located on 21st South and 11th East, that Clayton discovered girls.
Or rather, girls discovered Clayton. Apparently some were not
the kind of girls that Clayton felt like bringing home to meet his
Mom. One enduring keepsake that Clayton kept for all of his
life was a letter from his mother at about this time (1928 or 1929)
warning him about certain kinds of girls:
Dear Clayton,
It is not 10:30 and I am wondering how late you will be tonight. I can see you resent my saying I want you to come home
early. It will be hard for you to understand until you are a parent I
suppose. I dont want to be hard on you. I want you to have friends
and a good time, but just what is a good time? When I heard those
loud girls tonight I turned sick in my heart. I hope I have misjudged
them. Truly Clayton are they girls you would be proud to introduce
16

to your Mother or to your Grandma and Grandpa? Are you

proud of all you act tonight? Be square

certain other pressures were working on me to go to LDS High--like Mother being a teacher there and the basketball coach expressing an interest in me to come to L.D. So L.D.S. it was: lets make
it 1929.

I cant bear to think of you with alley rat stuff. I love you, Oh
so much, and I want so much to hear Daddy say to me when I meet
him, You did well by my boys. I suppose I am over anxious
because I am all alone with the job. You must help me. I do trust
you, but you seem to be so easily led, and I know what a bad girl
can do with an easy boy or man. I pray every night for God to help
you keep straight and honest. I know you are choice and Satan will
tempt you every chance he gets.

Juniors on the shelf. Juniors on the shelf , that was the cry greeting
the neophytes at L.D. The old Barratt Hall was the scene and
what happy times we had there. It was the rallying place for all
students and cheer leaders. Were 4 you! Were 4 you! Saints team,
were 4 You The Racket (stomping feet), Give em the ax, the
ax, the ax. Give em the ax, the ax, the ax!, etc. were some of the
favorite yells. How we could make the rafters ring! And Im sure
there was nothing more inspiring than the school song, Golden the
Fields,---,---,---, Well sing hurrah! For the Gold and Blue. Sing
loud and let its praises ring. For the dear Gold and Blue we ever
will be true. Hip-hoorah for the Gold and the Blue!

I love you darling boy and I want you to make the Dunfords
proud of you. I know you will. I would prefer that you bring
your friends here. No good can come from mushing around in an
automobile. Think it over son.


Mom 12

Devotional was held each day, and General Authorities came over
frequently from the Church Offices to address us on important subjects. You see, the Seminary system was not yet begun and everyone
who could, of high school age, came to L.D.S. The student body
numbered about 600; just enough to get to know everyone. The
classes were small, and the teachers could give plenty of attention
to individuals if necessary, and it usually was. The campus was
where the Relief Society Building now stands, and there was a
circle of buildings variously named, Smith Building, Business
College, Barratt Hall, and Y Building which fell behind a
large cement walk surrounding the green and shaded by inviting
birch trees. A black iron picket fence protected pedestrians on Main
Street from the rush of students at play. Behind these buildings
and part of the campus was the old Deseret Gym, the Lion House,
where Home Economics were taught, the shops, the tennis courts,
and the football field. Now all of this is but memory for but a few

About this letter, Clayton would later write,

This letter from my Mother Hazel Love Dunford, has had
a great influence on my life. It was written when I was perhaps
16 years old and Mother was concerned about me and my whereabouts. I was so touched by its message that I kept the letter in my
keepsakes and have used its contents to illustrate a parents concern
and love for children, as I have been called to teach young people at
various times of my life. It tells its own story. Now greatly yellowed
and fragile, I type that perhaps its message may be told time and
time again as might be necessary to my own children and others.13
Clayton continues his autobiography:
Then on to High School! Granite was to have been the school
for me. After all, didnt my Dad teach there a few years ago? But
17

of the faithful as the Church installed the Seminary system and

demolished the buildings to make way for the Relief Society building, underground parking lot and future Church Offices. Todays
generation doesnt even know where the old L.D. was!
I played basketball and football there and was good enough to
make the first team in both sports. L.D. was always a good basketball school, but a highlight was when we beat West High in football
for the very first time in history! There was no platoon system in
those days and if you were good enough you played the whole game
right through, barring injuries. No face mask made it quite easy
to get kicked in the face or some such injury. In a Murray game,
played on a muddy field, I was knocked nutty for several minutes,
even lining up for the wrong side after it happened.14

Clayton and Elizabeth in High School

Clayton was not only a member of the first team in both football and basketball, but he was also the star of the basketball team.
His high school yearbook for 1929 and a newspaper article from
the Deseret News has a picture of his basketball team with a large
picture of him standing tall and taking a two-handed set shot.
Clayton hoped that some of his own children would learn to love
the game of basketball, and some of his children did. Clayton put
up a backboard, hoop and net on the garage of the home at 868
South 14th East (and later at the home at 1835 Laird), and he would
often shoot hoops with his boys while trying to teach them how
to shoot two-handed set shots and foul shots taken with the ball
swung between wide-open knees before being launched towards
the basket. His high school coach told him that two hands on the
ball undoubtedly provided greater control of the ball than just one
hand, so always use two hands when shooting the ball. Thats
the way he was taught in high school and thats the way he tried
to teach his sons. (To those readers who might not know, these
days [2005] nobody except for a very few players and then only
18

for overhead long

shots from midcourt uses two
hands for making
basketball shots.)
The Courtship
of Clayton and
Elizabeth
While he perhaps didnt realize it at the time,
Claytons selection
of a date to take
Clayton on the ward basketball team, 1938, age 24
to a school dance
would have a major impact on the rest of his life. He learned later on, as perhaps
most do, that the choice of his lifes companion is a key determiner
of ones happiness, not only in this life, but also in eternity. Clayton may not have realized there would be eternal consequences of
his choices in high school, nor may he have known that when a
person picks up one end of a stick, he picks up the other end, but
when he asked Elizabeth Bitner for a date, his life was changed
forever. Clayton records:
The most important event, other than my education, that happened
to me at L.D.S. was when I met Elizabeth Bitner. Certainly at
the time she was just a nice girl among many others, well, not many
either--. I have been with only 5 girls down through the years. But
Elizabeth was different. Student seating being arranged alphabetically by last names, it is not difficult to see Bitner and Dunford
near one another. Now dont tell me that is the only reason we first

got to know one another. Seems as though I was looking and

Mother a teacher at L.D.S. suggested her as a partner to take to a
school dance that was coming up. So I asked Elizabeth Bitner for
a date, and Oh Happy Day, it was all arranged! Then catastrophe!! The coach wouldnt let the basketball players go to the dance.
Training, you know, and the late hour would hurt our performance
at a coming game. So no date. Days passed and then Elizabeth
invited me to go on a girls choice with her. Thats how it all began, and Ive never been the same since. Our theology class under
Brother Frank McGhie took on new meaning, and his lessons on
Temple Marriage were to be remembered for a long time. Ill say it
was a long time because it was not until 1936 that we were really
married for time and all eternity in that granite stone Temple to the
west of L.D.S. campus.15
Claytons mother, Hazel, talked with her son about Elizabeth
on many occasions, and promoted his increasing interest and love
for his wife-to-be. Hazel sensed Elizabeths qualities and natural beauty and helped him understand the importance of being
a gentleman and treating Elizabeth like a queen. As was previously explained, it was Hazel who first suggested to Clayton that
he should take Elizabeth Bitner out on a date. In a letter dated
Wednesday, October 17, 1951, he tells Elizabeth (who was then 37
years old) about the time he was a young man and asked his Mom,
Hazel, who he should take out. This is part of what he wrote in
that letter:
Anyway, I do remember asking my Mother to just name a few girls
for me to take out. Go on, Mother, just name some for me. Lets
see whom you think you would like to see your son go out with. I
cant seem to find one.
All right, my boy. I know one especially whom you would like very

19

much. She comes to one of my classes and I know she is a real girl.
Her name is Elizabeth Bitner and she has long black hair which
shines in the sun. Her skin is fair and clean. She always looks so
fresh just as if she had just come from the bath. Her hands are
soft and she always keeps them clean and her fingernails too. Her
eyes are clear but I cant tell you what color they are. Youll have to
find that out for yourself. Her clothes are not always new, but she
keeps them clean and fresh. I know much more about her, but if
this doesnt give you an idea of what I think of her, then Ill have
to try again, but Elizabeth is the kind of girl whom I would have
just adored to have as a daughter to go with my three boys. 16
Although they later advised their children against long engagements, their own courtship was a long one from possibly 1930
to May 1936, when they were married. The Red Book (a scrapbook created by Clayton during the months following Elizabeths
death and entitled, One Man s Love For One Woman Being the Letters of
L. Clayton Dunford To Elizabeth B. Dunford and Other Interesting Data)
contains several years of notes and love-letters written by Elizabeth and Clayton while getting to know each other. They speak of
learnings and yearnings, understandings and misunderstandings
that occurred between two young people who were falling in love
and were trying to live the Gospel standards.

alright? Elizabeth.17
This letter may have been sort of an answer to the first letter
from Clayton to Elizabeth. It is dated April 29, 1932, which was
Elizabeths birthday.
April 29, 1932. Dear Elizabeth: Because it is your birthday
and because you are venturing upon a new experience and a new
year, I find it [in my] heart to write a line [or two to] you, - to
express my sincere appreciation of your most inspiring companionship. I will always value your friendship as being with my most
cherished treasures. May you find use for these. C
These may have referred to the paper and pencil mentioned
above in the note from Elizabeth sent to him. On the envelope
containing Claytons letter, he wrote (years later): A carefully
worded love letter, among the first written. Sincere, thats for sure,
but lets not get too involved nor committed.
Nothing regarding their budding romance appears in the record until December, 1933, when a letter from Elizabeths father,
Roy Bitner, indicates that Elizabeth had traveled to California to
visit with the Cannons. Clayton visited her there. In a stronglyworded love letter he (Clayton) writes,

The exact day of their first meeting is unknown, but it could

have been in 1930 when both attended the old L.D.S. High school.
In what was undoubtedly one of the first notes passed between
Elizabeth and Clayton, a young boy and girl who were falling in
love with each other, Elizabeth writes:

I have never spent a more enjoyable, wonderful ten or so days. In

this short, oh so short, space of time have been crowded so many
thrilling experiences that I wonder if any similar period will contain as much. We have stood before awe-inspiring masterpieces of
art; explored little-known, at least to us, knooks [sic] and thoroughfares, walked together under the feeling of exhilaration and
contentment; talked oh the most wonderful talks . . 18

Clayt: Please dont be angry with me. I dont know that you are
. . . maybe Im silly for feeling you are. Please forgive me if Ive
done anything. Thank you for the paper and pencil. Is everything

20

On the envelope holding this letter Clayton writes, Friend-

ship begins to ripen into love. This young man is head-over-heels

in love, yet knows he must be very, very careful not to let his feelings lead him into indiscreet and ungentlemanly acts.
In another letter written 18 years later Clayton wrote of the
time they were together in California:
I loved this girl in surroundings utterly new to me, California it is
called. Then was when I first really felt her heart beat on mine.
Youth Its wonderful. There are times even now when I hear rain
falling and see the corner lights sparkle through I am reminded of
the magic of those hours.19
Claytons letters to Elizabeth hint of a strong physical attraction, but mostly speak of his desire to treat her with nothing but
respect and concern. She was an especially beautiful woman, and
must have been sought after by many of the eligible bachelors of
the day, but apparently she only had eyes for Clayton. It is abundantly clear that he only had eyes for her.
At this time, Elizabeth was still in California, so the romance
was promoted by the exchange of letters. Hazel supported this relationship. Elizabeth remained in California for six months, from
November, 1933, to May, 1934. Clayton was ecstatic upon her
return home. He wrote a letter dated May 8, 1934 in a somewhat
different vein welcoming her home from California. He starts the
letter as follows:
Dear Miss Bitner: As a disinterested spectator, I thought you
might enjoy hearing that I have recently met with a most wonderful
girl. After a lapse of several months, six to be exact, last week I
met this most wonderful girl in your home. That was odd, wasnt
it. Stranger still she came right up to me and gave me a great big
hug and a kiss.
21

The summer of 1934 brought some storm clouds into the lives
of Clayton and Elizabeth. The pressure of having a serious boyfriend or perhaps their mutual determination to have a chaste and
moral life caused pressures or problems in their courtship. (Who
hasnt had minor disagreements with those they were dating?) In
the summer of 1934, Clayton wrote in huge writing on an 8
by 11 sheet of paper the following note: Welcome Home! Why
wont you let me see you? Clayt
One will probably never know what really occurred that summer of 34, but it appears that they were treading a somewhat
rocky road. That summer Elizabeth went to Chicago with her
sister Mary to visit other relatives there. Clayton wrote a letter to
her there and encouraged her to stay until she had seen all that she
wanted to see.
The record is silent for the next few months, but Elizabeth
and Clayton must have gotten back on track because there is a
letter dated October 12, 1934, where he clearly expresses his love
and concern for Elizabeth and feels that she feels the same way
about him. He tells her about a surprise that he is making for
her that she will be really excited about. We have no idea what that
surprise was. On the envelope holding this letter, Clayton writes,
Letters and love get bolder and bolder. Just a hint of things to
come.
Two months later, Claytons mother, Hazel, presented him with
a different kind of surprise, this one from his father. His father,
Carlos, had promised a gold watch to each of his children on his
21st birthday if he were a non-smoker at that age. He said they were
never to smoke one puff. Unfortunately, he passed away when
Clayton was only eight years old. One can imagine Claytons utter surprise and tearful delight when his Mother presented him

and, good sport as she always was, she prepared a delicious snack
and we started up the back of Mt. Olympus, I with a small box
in a secret hiding place on my person and my heart pounding more
from anticipation than the exertion of the climb, I dont know what
Elizabeth was thinking, but she was a girl with a girls intuition,
and so maybe her heart was pounding too, for some unknown reason she knew not positively.

with a gold watch on his 21st birthday. Little had been said about
the challenge during the intervening years following his fathers
death, but his
mother remembered. Inscribed
inside the topquality, Hamilton vest-pocket
watch, were the
words, To Clayton, from Daddy.
Dec. 16, 1934.
Clayton would
later offer the
very same challenge to each
of his sons and
daughters: a gold
watch on his or her 21st birthday just to stay away from tobacco,
even if he had to hock the shirt of his back.20

The climb was really quite easy and we enjoyed ourselves as we

climbed higher and higher, pausing frequently to look at the valley
spread out before us. The climb became somewhat more difficult
and steeper as we approached the summit. Time did not enter our
thoughts; we could have climbed forever. Flowers on the side of Mt.
Olympus were blooming and we picked a few to smell and admire.
One memorable sight appeared suddenly when we frightened some
mountain sheep at their feeding and they scampered quickly up
over a mound and out of sight. It added much to our enjoyment of
nature and this special occasion. The sun was beginning to settle
in the West and we more often paused to watch the colors change
and cascade before us. Then as we sat ourselves comfortably upon a
large rock on the mountainside, having eaten our picnic lunch much
earlier, I folded my Love in my arms and we just sat and felt each
others heartbeat, watching the panorama oi color before us. We
talked of many things as only lovers do. The setting? Perfect!
The Girl? Perfect!

Clayton and Elizabeths Engagement

The exact date of their engagement is unknown, but the manner, time and place very romantically, in the early evening, on
the summit of Mt. Olympus (their mountain) was well-documented by Clayton through a letter he wrote about the day he
asked Elizabeth to marry him in July, 1935:
In my own romantic way I had planned to choose a location and occasion appropriate to our lofty ideals and aspirations, that I might
propose marriage to my Love. I did really give much thought to such
an important matter, because I knew we would both remember all
our lives how it all happened, the thought being that our love
would be as strong and enduring as the mountains surrounding us.
So, my choice of location was Mt. Olympus, the most striking and
beautiful of the Wasatch Range to the East of Salt Lake City. It
was early in the afternoon and I had asked Elizabeth to put up a
small lunch and we would go on a hike. Elizabeth liked the idea

I reached into my secret hiding place to make sure the little box was
still there and, of course, it was. Pulling it out, I asked My Love
if she would ccept a little present I had for her, and with it went all
my love. Oh, beautiful girl,she must have known all the time.
The box contained our engagement ring and as Elizabeth accepted
it with a fervent, warm, and thrilling kiss, we were melded into one.
We sat there for a long time and watched the sun go down in a blaze
22

about the event:

Dear Heart
As we two sat high on Olympus top

and gazed with glowing eyes.
Upon the strip of land and trees

and the dots where the earthlings dwelt,
We felt exalted and withdrawn

from everyday goings-on.
For just we two were alone up there

To enjoy Gods handiwork.
You asked me to look upon the stratum of the sun,
The rays of gold and orange in a setting of

lapis-lazuli called the sky
And as I gazed upon it you drew forth

your hand. a duplicate of the scene before me,c And held it in

But it was more tangible than the sun,
And would not fade away.
You slipped it upon my finger and I,

in wondrous surprise,
Failed to see the sun go down,

unnoticed beyond the horizon.

Clayton and Elizabeth sharing thier feelings for each other

of glory. Finally, realizing that we had better get off the hill before
darkness set in (it stays light for quite some time in the summer)
we arose, brushed ourselves off and started down. Im sure my feet
felt nary a rock on the way. Hand in hand we arrived safely at the
foot of Mt. Olympus to bathe our feet in a stream nearby. What a
day! What a Lovely day! Is it any wonder why to us it will always
be Our Mountain? 21
Soon after they were engaged, Elizabeth wrote a lovely poem
23

The words that you spoke to me, Dear Heart,

were filled with glorious meaning.
And as you kissed me I made a vow

That all my life long through
I would try to make you happy and content.

To thine self only I would be true.22

Again the Red Book record is silent until Valentines Day, February 14, 1936. Clayton admits that it has been a long time
since your fiance wrote you a love letter. But again he asks Elizabeth to continue to be his one and only Valentine.

in his journal entries and in his autobiography. Here is an example

of his feelings for Elizabeth from his autobiography:
When I think of her I get all warm inside. Never was there anyone
else but she. She has been in my thoughts continually from the first
day I saw her clean, fresh appearance. It was her whole being that
would catch you and make you hold your breath. Fair skin, long
black hair, sparkling hazel eyes, a rather long face (certainly not
in countenance, however) and an adorable little mouth were only
the outward manifestations of a heart and soul of pure gold. Her
figure was young and supple with the strength of clean living and
the pure life. If ever I could wax poetic it would be when I write
of the light of my life. I have
always, I think, been rather
idealistic when it comes to the
girl I would want to marry
and in Elizabeth I reached
for the stars and gathered
them into my arms. She will
ever be mine for it was on
May 29, 1936, that Apostle
David O. McKay sealed us
in marriage for Time and all
Eternity in the Temple of
our Lord at Salt Lake City.

On Elizabeths birthday, April 29, 1936, Clayton writes another letter of love and devotion and indicates the prospective date
of their marriage. He says, One short, or long, month from today
and one of my most cherished dreams will come true a wife, who
is my dream girl, will be united with me in our Temple for Time
and all Eternity! I thank God for my supreme blessing.23
On May 10, 1936, Elizabeth
and Claytons engagement is proclaimed in the Salt Lake newspapers. On the envelope in the
Red Book, Clayton writes, The
newspapers quietly announce
that the world will please come
to a breathless halt while Clayton and Elizabeth are married.
There is no mention of their honeymoon, although perhaps they
spent their honeymoon in a relatives cabin in Lambs Canyon.

Claytons and Elizabeths

Marriage
Claytons love for and devotion to Elizabeth is consistent
through all of his letters to her,

Elizabeths parents, Roy and Irma Bitner, Helen, Elizabeth, Clayton, and his mother Hazel

24

Truly it was in the presence

of angels and loved ones that
we pledged ourselves to one
another over the white lacecovered altar as we knelt together. The tender emotion
of love and the sanctity of

the occasion will ever remain with me. No place on earth is as

sacred as the Temple and no place on earth comes as near to heaven
as the sanctity of our home. Why speak of quarrels, differences,
misunderstandings, or other unpleasant happenings when they were
but the stepping stones to be lightly touched and avoided if possible,
knowing that really and truly there was always the basic and fundamental concepts of rapport and desire in each other for a happy
life together! Our children, as they came to bless our union, were
each welcomed with love and a desire for them. Each has been a
continual blessing to us---truly the jewels in our crown and our
most blessed possessions. They have brought us honor and glory
and carry their name proudly and gratefully. I think the Felts and
the Bitners, the Loves and the Dunfords can see that their blood
will never be sullied in our children. Blood will tell and they are
champions all! 24

A note dated December 25, 1936, tells of their joy of being

married and that soon they will be a family of three:
My Darling Wife:
Our first Christmas together as ONE! Oh, how happy it is.
Even now we are looking forward to the next when there will be
three of us.
I love you, Sweetheart. You seem to carry the Seasons spirit with
you every day of the year. I have found it so with me! Merry
Christmas Dear One, may there be many more of them. Love
from your devoted husband.25
The Bakery Is Started and the Family Grows

Their First Home at 2314 South 8th East

Clayton and Elizabeths first home was located on the west
side of 8th East between 2300 and 2400 South in Salt Lake City. It
was Hazels and her sons house, but she had an apartment made
for the newlyweds to live after it was decided that Hazels house
could be figuratively cut in half and an apartment made out of the
smaller half. Although they were the first occupants, it was to be
a source of income for her when Clayton and Elizabeth were to
move to larger quarters. Nevertheless, it was a sacrifice for Hazel,
and they were ever grateful. The apartment had a front room, bedroom, kitchen, and bath and back porch, all very small. Their bed
was one of a set of twin beds and really was all the room a newly
married couple could use. At least they did not seem to mind the
snugness of it, cuddled under the covers on a snowy wintry night.

25

Meanwhile, the family business, which began in 1931 in Hazels kitchen, was booming. Clayton gives his mother all the credit
for the beginning. As just a young man out of high school, helping
his mother during the Depression days, Clayton had little idea that
that small beginning would continue on into an established bakery
business. He initially thought that it was only an interim job until
college.
Hazels father, Stephen Love, was helpful in getting her started.
As the manager of the Utah-Idaho Sugar Company, he was well
known in business and social circles in Utah. Before very long the
orders for her 100% whole wheat bread were large enough to require a delivery truck and full-time delivery man. Clayton helped
his mother bake the bread and deliver it to all the customers on the
routes around the neighborhood.
The bread orders were increasing in number every week. The

two extra ovens Hazel had installed in

her kitchen were not
large enough to handle the dough she
was making for the
orders so she needed
to make some kind
of arrangements for
more oven room.

Clayton standing by an early bakery delivery truck

The small, aptly-named, Naborhood Bakery on 21st

South and 6th East,
owned and operated

by an English couple,
Mr. and Mrs. Newton
Lacey, was selling only
white bread. Hazel
went to see them and
made arrangements to
make the whole wheat
bread in their bakery
and sell both whole
wheat and white bread
on the routes. It was a
good deal for everyone involved. Clayton
Dunford Home Made Bread truck
continued on with the
bakery and deliveries that his mother had started. With the help of
Mr. & Mrs. Lacey it continued to increase until another delivery

man was hired to handle the routes.

Clayton mentions in the Red Book the fun they had in the early
days of their marriage. They must have had fun because just nine
months and 4 days after they were married, on March 2, 1937, little
Carlos Bitner Dunford was born. Clayton describes the excitement
of the birth of
their first child
in his journal.
He had been
making bread
deliveries and
called the hospital from a
c u st ome r s
home to check
on Elizabeths
progress:
Laceys Naborhood Bakery, where Clayton learned the baking trade

Hyland
5524-W Central, I called. Holy Cross Hospital, came the
reply.
Anything developed in the Dunford maternity case? I asked very
calmly.
Are you Mr. Dunford? You had better get over here right quick.
Your wife is expecting any minute.
Oh, my gosh! My wife was having a baby and I wasnt there. Oh,
dear me.
Not wasting any time at all, I dropped the phone, forgot to collect
for the bread, and as I flew out the door I called back,
26

My wifes having a baby. Ive got to go! I bet theyre still chuckling to themselves.

comfortable as if he had a full

size crib. The arrangement
was quite adequate for both
parties. For washing clothes,
Mother had a portable washer, which emptied its water by
a pump directed into the sink
Diapers were blowing into the
wind, hung with pins from
two lines strung on poles in
the back yard. As the babies
came we just seem to grow and
expand with them. 27

I jumped into the truck, threw it into gear, and sped over to the
hospital, lickety split. Made it in record time, too. I jumped out
of the car, jumped up the steps, and hurried as nonchalantly as the
circumstances would allow down the long corridor to the delivery
room. There Aunt Vie met me with a clean white gown to throw
about me and ushered me into the delivery room where Gods greatest miracle was taking place.
The attendants were all so very busy. At that moment, a sharp
spat and then, Wha-aa. Wha-aa. Carlos was born to us.
Thank God.
I bent over Elizabeth and kissed her tenderly. If ever there were
angels on earth, there was one there now. She looked at me lovingly and whispered, And you thought it was going to be a girl.
Never have I been more close to my wife. What a girl! How I
love her!! 26
Clayton named his first child Carlos after his father, not only
because he was his fathers first grandchild, but also because he
had high hopes that his son would become as fine as man as the
man whose name he carried. He was extremely proud to be the
son of Carlos Leroy Dunford and hoped that all his family could
say half as much for him. Even though his father passed away
when Clayton was very young, he credits him with being a great
influence in his life, perhaps even greater than if his father had
lived to the normal span of years. He describes the arrangements
made for the new arrival:
After our first son came I made a shelf on the wall large enough
to hold his basket. Carlos didnt seem to mind at all and was as

Alongside these exciting

times, Hazel was again having trouble with the same Hazel with Clayton and his first son, Carlos
gastric problem she had had
a while before and had undergone surgery to try to correct. The
middle of May she went into the hospital for more surgery. On
30 May 1937, she died of abdominal cancer. Clayton wrote his
brother, Burns, who was serving a mission for The LDS Church
in South Africa, of the influence for good Hazel had in her three
sons lives:
Of course all my customers knew of Mothers passing and when
I would call with their order of bread one and all had to know
about the circumstances and offer their sympathy. Imagine there
must have been close to four hundred people say something to me
about it. Even now I cant go through the day without some mention of Mothers splendid qualities.
I need to enumerate the many boosts she has given you and me.

27

They were so many. All that we are or become, as Lincoln said of

his mother, we owe to her. How much we have to thank her for.
The irony of it all is that now it is too late. At least we three boys,
men I would say now, can show our love for her by sticking together
and not drifting apart. I know she would have liked that. My,
Mother had a lot of faith in us. Let us pray that we can attain
the high standard she has always held aloft for us to followthat,
to follow in the footsteps of our father. Wasnt she always saying
that? Oh, Burns, we have so much to live for and so little time to
do it in. 28
Clayton had been selling 1,600 to 1,800 loaves of whole wheat
per week with two trucks and several helpers, but, as mentioned
earlier, the bread was actually made by Lacey. Clayton didnt start
baking until August of 1938 when Mr Lacey scheduled a vacation Clayton was to do the
baking while he was away. As
he wrote his brother Burns,
Yes, Burns, your older
brother now knows how to
make bread. Today, Tuesday, I made 5-3/4 batches (65
loaves per) of white; 2 batches of whole wheat (about 55
loaves) and 1 double batch of
50%, besides 2 pans of raisin
squares. Thats a lot of flour
Clayton and Hazel standing by car
and water to handle! He
purchased his first large Hobart mixer and bread rack and started looking for property for his
own bakery shortly thereafter. 29
If he had any doubts earlier, by November, 1938 Clayton had

come to believe that Dunford Bakers would some day become a

major enterprise. It wont be long before Dunford Bread will
be very well known and will be eaten by many, many manies, he
confided to Burns.30
Burns came home from his mission to South Africa in May
1939. By that time the bread business had grown to the point
where Clayton felt he needed to have a bakery building of his own.
He convinced Burns that he needed his help to get it done. You
can go to school next year, he told Burns, but Burns never went.
Maurine Phippen Dunford, Burns future wife, would prepare an
excellent history of Dunford Bakers fifty years later, from which
much helpful information, such as the following, is extracted.31

The First Bakery Shop Is Built

In the fall of 1939, Burns and Clayton started digging the footings for the new bakery on a piece of property at 668 South 9th
East. The walls were cinder block from the Buehner Block Co.
The Buehners were good friends as well as neighbors. The building was about 50 ft wide and 100 ft long. Across the front was a
section about 10 ft wide for the sales area and a small office on
the north end. The building faced east and was on the west side
of 9th East The west 1/3 of the building was the garage area with
three overhead doors and storage space on all sides and in the access space up above the work area. The worktables were along the
south wall with the mixers and sink in the southwest corner. The
oven was in the center of the north wall with rack room in front
of it and to each side. The refrigerator was to the south of the door
to the sales room and office. A small bathroom and an order desk
by the phone rounded out the physical arrangements. Later the

28

garage area was remodeled and turned into additional space for
baking.
What a treasure! Wouldnt Hazel be thrilled and proud to see
what her efforts had grown into? Clayton and his wife, Elizabeth,
had worked very hard to make the business grow and be a success. The neon lights above the door on the front of the building spelled out DUNFORD BREAD CO.
The two panel trucks
in the garage also had
DUNFORD BREAD
CO. printed on each
side. This was a time of
gratitude for the blessings and guidance from
The long-awaited first retail bakery on 7th South
heaven, wrote Maurine.
By this time Clayton and Elizabeth had two children, Carlos,
and David. They moved into the little white house north of the
bakery that was on part of the property they had purchased for
the bakery. An eight-foot driveway separated the two buildings.
This was a great convenience to be so close
to work and where they
could take care of things
going on.
Clayton hired Marvin Wood to help him
with the baking. Marv,
as he was called, was a
very hard worker and

as dependable as
the sun. Burns
put off going to
school for another year and took
over the routes
and trucks. They
hired three more
young men to
help Burns on
the routes and
sales in the front.
Dunford Bread
Co. was now a
six-man operation.
Eight more
Clayton, happy at his work
children followed
Carlos. David was
born while they lived in the house on 8th East, Gayle and Doug
were born while they were in the 9th East Home, Robert, Dan, and
Carolyn were born while the family lived in the 14th East home,
and Gloria Jean and John were born in the Laird Avenue home.
Each one was eagerly anticipated but not all births were as well-recorded by Clayton as the first. In fact, he entirely missed the birth
of one of his children, acceding to Elizabeths request that he go
home and get some rest after a full days work. He promised in
retrospect that was something he would never do again.
It is perhaps interesting to note that naming the children after
they arrived seemed to come with some difficulty to Elizabeth
and Clayton. One child was not named for three weeks after his

No. 1 (7th South) bakery after remodeling

29

birth and another had no final name until three months after he
was born. Mergatroid, Squirt, Butch, Baby, or Shrimp
seemed to suffice for a long time.32 Other than noting the fact, no
explanation for the delay was offered.

was used for storage of flour, sugar, oil, and other non-perishable
goods for the bakery. If a sack of flour was needed, workers just
wheeled a dolly over to the house, loaded it up, and pushed it back
to the bakery.
Only one note from
Clayton to Elizabeth has
been found for the time
they lived in their 9th East
Home. The note in the
Red Book, dated 29 April,
1941, reads, Congratulations to us, darling, for 5
years of happy wedded
life together. I surely
love my wife. Clayt.

Their Second Home at 668 South 9th East

The new home, once a pioneer cabin and later plastered over,
was old, dark, dirty and dingy before they cleaned it up and did
some remodeling and painting. Then it was quite comfortable.
Next to the bakery, it was convenient to Claytons work, and Elizabeth could help at the bakery and still care for the children.
One experience stands out during this transition time. The
children woke up one morning soon after moving in with red
blotches allover their bodies. What was the trouble? They didnt
seem to be feverish and the red spots would fade that day only
to appear the next morning. What was causing the blotches? Bed
bugs! Even though Clayton and Elizabeth had painted and cleaned
the place time and again it was full of them and came out at night
to nip the babies. Soon they were fumigating the whole house
the only way to be rid of them.
Living right next to the bakery, the delivery trucks with their
sacks of flour and sugar would come down the driveway between
the house and the bakery. The children remember the big PIE
(Pacific Intermountain Express) trucks that they thought delivered pies or the ingredients of pies. There was a large mulberry
tree in the front of the house that used to drop the berries all over
the front lawn and sidewalk. It was a real mess when the berries
dropped. The bathroom was right next to the kitchen and in the
bathroom was a rusty porcelain bathtub. Years later, the house

World War II Helps

the Business to Grow
Clayton at the end of World War II

World War II was beginning to involve the United States, and all the young men of
military age were asked to register for the draft. Clayton registered
as a married man with dependents, and a year and half later, when
the draft took married men, the bakery was providing bread to the
Army Base at Kearns, Utah. Clayton was in an essential industry
so he did not have to serve in the military service. The bakery was
in need of the services of a trained bookkeeper to keep track of all
the details involved in a larger business. Clayton asked his older
brother, Stephen, if he wanted to join with him. Stephen was delighted to come aboard he thought the bakery was a good idea.33

30

His training
and contacts
in the business
world
made a great
cont ribut ion
to the bread
company. The
three brothers seemed to
make a good
working combination, and
Clayton and Elizabeth with Carlos, David, Gayle, and baby Doug
they joined together in a full partnership in Dunford Bread Company. The date
was March 1941.34
The following December 7th was the fateful day that the Japanese military forces attacked Pearl Harbor, and this meant all-out
war with Japan. The US was already at war in Europe with Germany. Now the demands for war were the first priority. Everything that was needed to supply the armed forces had to be rationed for civilian use, including food items, gas, tires, automobiles,
meat, sugar, etc. That meant the end of the bread delivery routes.
However, Stephen, with his many business contacts, was able to
make wise purchases that provided the Dunford Bread Co. with
the sugar and shortening it needed to keep the business going and
meet the new growth that the Army Base required. They could
now make more of a variety of goodies for the customers. The list
included: three kinds of bread: white, 100% whole wheat and 50%
whole wheat, several kinds of cookies and sweet rolls, brownies
and crumb cake, and fruit pies as well as the meat pies they had
made for some time. The business continued to grow. Each suc31

ceeding week would show an increase over the week before.

The Third Home at 868 South 14th East

With children demanding more room, Clayton and Elizabeth
were compelled to seek a larger house. The economic situation
had improved, too, so they bought their third home at 868 South
14th East in the year 1942. Roy H. Bitner, Elizabeths father, was
instrumental in securing it for them because he was in the real
estate business and had the opportunity to look at various suitable homes. They paid $7,000 for it and later sold it for $21,000
after many improvements were made. The war inflation, also, had
much to do with its increase in value for property all around went
sky-high. They remodeled, carpeted, insulated, tiled, built rooms
in the basement, landscaped, fenced, built a two-car garage and
swimming pool, roofed and painted several times. They also enclosed the small front porch as a study and storm-windowed all
around. In the end, Clayton and Elizabeth owned it completely,
making it the first and only home that they bought and paid for
while she was alive. What a glorious feeling! Close to East High
in Yale Ward with bus service on the next block, this home sufficed the family for about 12 years. Clayton related, For the children, there were trees to climb, open fields for digging and play,
sidewalks to roller skate on, neighborhood gangs to play with and
Church nearby; old 868 was really a nice home to enjoy and grow
up in. I believe we can all say we were happy there.35

Buicks or Children?
Clayton delighted in the common, seemingly mundane but

hea r t-wa r m i ng
goings-on
of
family life. As
an example, he
wrote this about a
Sunday evening:
Sunday is almost gone. The
kids are all
tucked in their
14th East Home
beds in the
playroom. There
is still a little chit chatter still going on but now Elizabeth says,
All right, boys. Thats enough. No more talking. Be quiet now.
Good night.
All of which (or rather that last good night) seems to be the signal
for a great tirade of good nights. Each must have her good
night particularly addressed to him. An all-inclusive good
night will not do. And how they do yell it out!
Before going to bed, we all played London Bridges Falling Down.
Daddy and Douglas won from Mother, Carlos, Dave and Gayle.
After which we played Drop the Handkerchief.

The family in 1945 listening to their dad read to them.

doctor for stitches, the first day of school, tying string to gifts for
birthdays, building airplanes, going on family outings, baptizing
and confirming and ordaining his children, and his delight and
pride in their accomplishments. In a list recapping current family
events with their then-five children, Clayton mentions that their
car is a six-year-old Mercury with nearly 30,000 miles. Burns and
Steve both have Buicks, he writes. We have children. Which
would you rather have?37

Then they all said their prayers. First, Carlos, then Dave, then
Gayle, and lastly, Douglas. He mumbled away to himself until he
thought he had said enough and then straightened up just as proud!
They are all so cute!36
In spite of his long hours at work starting at 4:30 or 5:00 AM,
Claytons journals are replete with references to teaching a child
to ride a bike, feeling the pain for a son when taking him to the

Polio Strikes the Clayton and Elizabeth Dunford

Family
Major events happened in Clayton and Elizabeths lives during
their stay in the 14th East home. Among the most significant was
32

Carlos, David and Doug contracting polio in February, 1948.

David was the first to be stricken by the disease, poliomyelitis.
Then Doug and Carlos were stricken. David contracted bulbar
polio that paralyzed the nerves and muscles in his throat. He could
not swallow anything, and, when water went down the passageway
to his lungs, his throat would constrict automatically, and he could
not breathe. This was a very frightening circumstance for David
and his parents. Davids right arm was also paralyzed. Carlos and
Douglas were not quite so severely affected, although both suffered paralysis of their backs and legs.
The young boys were
blessed to be treated by Dr.
Thomas Robinson, a family
friend and member of the
Bishopric in the Yale Ward
where they lived at the time.
Dr. Robinson treated the
boys with a unique method
he developed of limiting
their intake of fluids while
giving them shots of sucrose. Elizabeth and Clayton kept the boys home for
treatment rather than sending them to the County
Hospital where most polio
victims were subjected to
the standard medical methClayton with Gayle, Dan, Doug, Rob,
and Carlos in the car
ods of the day. Keeping them
home was a gamble that paid off for Elizabeth and Clayton, although they were criticized for doing so by their neighbors.
33

The boys recovered almost 100%, and one year later, in February 1949, Elizabeth wrote a fourteen-page description of the entire incident from beginning to end. In February, 1970, Clayton
typed Elizabeths account for better legibility, and then added a
few words of his own to her account, which is excerpted in her
biography. Clayton records:
Mom has written the story of our three boys and their bout with
polio. I remember the candle test given to check progress with respiration. Carlos and Doug had little trouble, but David, with his
bulbar polio, was a very long time in learning to control his mouth
muscles, so he could blow the flame out. When he would try to blow
through his mouth, the wind would come through his nostrils and
dissipate, leaving the flame shining just as brightly. There was a
definite weakness there in my opinion and was a long time in the
correction. His cough was not the soul-satisfying one normal people
seemed to have. His again was dissipated through his nose. David,
you were the most sick and the one we worried over so much because
you were most affected, except the night Carlos cheated on his allotment and drank water when he shouldnt. See the film and youll see
how sick you really were. Many people never did have the recovery
you boys had. Many are the people today in wheelchairs suffered
at the same time as you, but did not have Dr. Toms treatment.
Heavenly Father was watching us for sure in those days of trial
and guided our every move. We can thank Him.38

The Cabin at Pine Crest

Although there is nothing in Claytons autobiography about
building the familys cabin up in Pine Crest, there are several items
pertaining to the cabin in the Red Book and in his journal. On

August 19th, 1948, Clayton noted in his journal,

We are making plans for our canyon home in Emigration Canyon.
The excavating and leveling is all through and we are now planning
our cabin. Its so much fun. The site is beautiful on the side of
the mountain overlooking a draw and up the other side to the big,
beautiful pine trees. We have such big plans. 39
On Sept. 12th he wrote that the contractor was figuring out the
plans for the cost of his work. We really want to do as much as
possible of the work
ourselves, both for
economical reasons
and the joy of doing
the job with your own
two hands, and drew
a rough floor plan on
the next page.

Clayton wiping dishes

Later that month

Clayton contracted
with the E. L. Jacobsen and Anderson
Construction Company to build the cabin
up in Pine Crest for
$4,683 . On the envelope for this contract,
Clayton wrote, Our
cabin in the pines
holding many early
happy
memories.
The contract was just

for the outer shell of the cabin; the electrical work, plumbing, interior wall coverings, doors, and finish work were not included in
the bid. It is clear that Clayton planned to do all that type of work
himself with the help of his wife and family.
It would be interesting to know why the cabin is not even
mentioned in his autobiography. Its likely that Clayton wrote
his autobiography without the benefit of his journals, otherwise
there probably would have been many other things included that
he neglected to write about. The cabin had been sold by the time
Clayton wrote his history, and perhaps it did not even enter his
mind. The cabin, however, holds pleasant memories for most of
Elizabeth and Claytons children and was a big part of their lives.
Why did they build the cabin? Several of their relatives had
cabins in the mountains, some in Lambs Canyon and some at
Pine Crest, and its possible that Elizabeth and Clayton felt that
having their own cabin in the pines would be a valuable thing for
the family. The cabin was built soon after the boys contracted
polio, and it is possible that they built the cabin so that they could
take their children someplace where the air was cleaner or purer
than the air in Salt Lake City. Perhaps they wanted to protect their
children who had not contracted polio from catching the disease.
Somewhere there is a document which explains how they came to
choose that lot on a steep hill close to Aunt Marie Felts cabin at
Pine Crest. One thing for sure, Grandpa Bitner was involved in
the sale. Work started on the foundation of the cabin soon after
the contract with Jacobsen and Anderson was signed. However,
before that could be done, a road (perhaps better described as a
driveway) had to be constructed up to the site of the cabin. This
was no small undertaking as the mountain was very steep and
bulldozers had to be brought to the site to dig a road out of the
side of the mountain. Eventually, the road was finished and the
34

site of the cabin was leveled, so that the foundations could be dug
and formed.

by the family. The boys remember nailing many of the precut and finished
hardwood pieces onto the sub floor to build that floor.

With the road constructed, the family could finally drive right
up to the parking area in front of the cabin. But getting there was
never easy. Those members of the family who drove up there
often were able to spin left around that last corner, and gunning
the motor all the way with rocks and dirt spinning from the tires
out behind, eventually make it to the top. But the new and uninitiated visitors would often stall halfway up the hill, and then have
to back down, and then back up a skinny road that took off to the
right at that last corner. Then (after being instructed as to how to
do it), and madly gunning their engines, most were able to make
it to the top.

The upstairs bedrooms didnt have a ceiling in them, just like

the nearby cabin of their Aunt Marie Felt, and the children loved
to crawl around up in the rafters, playing all sorts of childhood
games. Clayton had a large flagstone fireplace built that had heater
vents, which helped warm the cabin during the colder months.
The fireplace was called a Heatalator because it collected heat
from fires and allowed the heat to disburse into the room from
vents located in the front.

Some of the familys happiest days at the cabin occurred while

they were building it. Clayton did some of the construction work
himself, after having the heavy work contracted out. The boys
helped clean the rocks and dirt out of the trenches where the foundation was going to be laid. The family cleared the path over to
their Aunt Maries cabin and helped paint the upper (wood) half
with varnish before the first winter set in. The older children also
helped tighten the bars that stabilized the house against the heavy
snowfall that came during the wintertime.
The cabin was cinder block on the first floor and split pine
logs on the second. The floor on the first level was cement that
had been colored red as the cement was mixed before pouring.
For some reason, there was a step up from the living room area
to the kitchen a nice step to trip over. The kitchen stove was an
old wood and coal burning iron affair. There was another, more modern,
electric stove that was used for cooking the regular meals. Upstairs, the sub
floor was covered with tongue and groove hardwood, which was installed

35

The cabin was sort of a Mecca for Elizabeth and Claytons

family and friends. It was fairly large and so could comfortably accommodate a good-sized group. Except for the hill, friends of the
family used to enjoy the cabin for study group meetings and other
social occasions. As the children got older, they occasionally used
the cabin for social occasions such as high school graduation and
other parties after school dances.
Getting to the cabin in the winter was also fun. Snowmobiles
did not exist in those early days, and there were several times when
the family had to hike in the snow from the old Pine Crest Inn
up to the cabin, and that was a real hike. Usually, this involved
Clayton and his sons, or other groups such as the Scouts, but his
daughters may also remember some of these hikes and then the
sleigh rides down the hill. The snow on the hill below the cabin
would sometimes be firm and crusty enough to sleigh on, or the
family would tramp up and down the hill to build a firm base on
which to coast for an exciting ride.
The older children have vivid memories of those sleigh-riding
trips, particularly of the pungent odor of the auto exhaust as they

w e r e
being
pulled
back up
the road
beh ind
Claytons car.
S evera l
times,
while
sleighi n g
down,
Gloria, Carolyn, Doug, Rob, and Dan enjoying the snowfall
they had
to dodge
other cars coming up the road. A serious accident could have occurred during these trips, and that is maybe why they stopped
sleigh riding in that area after a while. They would post an observer down at the bottom of the road to warn of upcoming cars, but it
still was fairly dangerous. In later years, they would take their own
kids up to this area sleigh riding, but now off the road. They limited themselves to the un-traveled roads beneath the cabin. Clayton
sold the cabin years ago, but family members have occasionally
enjoyed riding up to its near vicinity. It has always been a place of
fun memories for most of the family.
Another cabin memory is of the Stinging Nettle plants which
grew along the lower road to the cabin. Elizabeth and Clayton
always warned their children to close the car windows as they
passed this area. Nettle is a plant that has little barbs along its
stems and leaves that will leave a burning and stinging sensation
if one touches it.

A favorite hike was the route up the neighboring ravine where

the cabins spring water reservoir was located. Another was down
the road about a block or two, then taking a left at the Barnetts
cabin at the big tree, and then walking up that canyon which
branched off the main road. It was fun to walk up this road and
look at the other cabins built along the stream. The former hike to
the spring was a rough and steep one in places because there was
no formal trail.
Eventually the family got tired of going to the cabin. There
really was not much to do except read there was no television
or perhaps hike up to the Meadows to visit the beaver ponds and
to see if there were any new dams, or if one could tell where the
beavers had newly chewed on the Quakies. Gradually, the cabin
fell into disuse. The hill on which the cabin had been built settled
a little bit each year, and the crack in the cement floor of the front
room became taller and wider until in some places it was four
inches tall and an inch wide. Clayton kept the cabin for a couple
of years after Elizabeth died, but eventually sold it for $24,000.
Nevertheless, movies of the cabin days recall fond memories for
their children. One of them shows Elizabeth coming out of the
cabins front door towards the cameraman, presumably Clayton,
and mouthing the soundless words, I love you. Oh, I love you!
Elizabeth and Clayton celebrated their 15th wedding anniversary in 1951. On the envelope dated May 1951, Clayton has
typed, Fifteenth Wedding Anniversary. Then, in pencil he has
added, Also, a love letter from LCD to Eliz, dated 1951. In the
envelope is a letter from Clayton to Elizabeth, wishing her a happy
anniversary and expressing his love for her, Honey, I love you,
love you, love, with all my heart Also, in this envelope was a
small florists card, the type often sent with flowers to hospitals.
On the card inside, Clayton has written, All the love from my
36

heart, Clayt. What is strange is that the card itself says, May You
Soon Be Well. The card is undated, so the question is, was Elizabeth sick, or did she have a baby? She had a baby is the likeliest
answer because Carolyn was born June 5, 1951. Also in Claytons
envelope is a hand written one cent postcard, dated October 24,
1951 and mailed from Minneapolis to Elizabeth at their 14th East
address, which simply states, Sure n begorra I still loves ya.
Clayton had already started going to baking school, when Carolyn
was just over one month old!

Clayton Goes To Baking School

From July 1951 through March 1952 Clayton attended the
William Hood Dunwoody Industrial Institute in Minneapolis,
Minnesota. This school (better known as the Dunwoody Institute), was one of the top baking schools in the country. Clayton
went to school to become a better baker, a better bakery owner
and manager, and to learn about the science behind baking. Clayton enjoyed this school experience very much.
The first letter available from that period is dated September
17, 1951. There were earlier letters, in particular one that Clayton
called brazen, when he wrote to Elizabeth on September 17. He
said, Did you tear up that sheet? Wasnt that brazen of me? Ive
never done anything like it in my life before. I guess I was feeling hot that night, had you been here well! Later in this same
letter it is clear that Clayton is missing Elizabeth emotionally and
physically. There is also a letter on which Clayton has drawn some
cartoon stick figures. The drawing itself is quite interesting; there
is Elizabeth with a baby in her arms, undoubtedly Carolyn, with a
young boy, probably Danny, pulling at her skirt. David, with books

37

in hand, says
Bye Mom,
while Gayle,
in front of
David, says,
David!
Stop pushing, Doug,
with books,
says, Hurry, Robbie,
while Rob,
also
with
books, says,
OK, DouClayton during a quiet moment in Minnesota
gie. Off in
the distance on his bike, is an unnamed boy, probably Carlos, who
says, Papers, Papers. Although a simple drawing, it is meaningful in that it illustrated what Clayton was thinking about, and is
therefore worth studying.
The next letter Clayton saved is dated October 17, 1951. Its a
wonderful four-page love letter written from Minneapolis telling
of Claytons great love for Elizabeth through thick and thin, for all
the years of their marriage. He writes:
I tell you I love you, and I do, but do you realize that I really
do? I mean really and truly? Not just common ordinary love, but
honest to goodness, eternal, enduring, everlasting love. That means
that there is none other and never, never has been ever. That mans
through sickness and health; poorness and wealth; cloudy and sunny
weather; thick and thin; quarrelling and contented happiness, separation (like Salt Lake and Minneapolis); enigma and perfect under-

standing; a pat or a
peck on the cheek
and
passionate
love; tiredness and
frivolity; etc. and
etc., ad infinitum!!
If my life were to
suddenly end right
now, I would still
have been a success
for having met and
married you and for
the years we have
been together. 40

expresses
concern
about being away
from the family and
the bakery, especially
during the coming
Christmas season.
However, it will not
be terribly bad because, as he says,
I will be there to
help over the really
rough days of Christmas and New Years.
So on December 14,
it appears that Clayton was planning on
coming home for the
Holidays. However,
his typewritten letter dated Christmas
1951 appears to be
written on Christmas Day, and written from Minneapolis. Did Clayton not
come home for that
Christmas?

In his letter to
Elizabeth dated December 14, 1951,
Clayton explains that,
As I look back on
the last five months
[of school], I find no
reason for regret or
feeling that time has
been ill spent. He
again expresses his
love and concern for
his wife who is miles
away by herself and
having to take care of
seven kids, including
a new babe in arms.
In this letter Clayton

March 23 or 24,
1952, was Claytons
last day of school.
His last day was
supposed to be on
38

March 28, but as he suggested in his letter dated, February 27,

1952, he was able to convince Mr. VanderVoort (presumably the
head of his school) to let him out one week early if he could take
and pass his tests. It is presumed he did because Elizabeth had
arrived from Salt Lake City, on March 23 or 24. In the letter she
typed on Claytons typewriter (Mom & Dad together again) she
writes glowingly of her welcome at the airport, Boy, what a bear
hug, and then her pleasure upon entering his room to see all sorts
of notes stuck to the ceiling and walls attesting of his love for
her. She indicates that Clayton had one last exam that day, and
then they would be off to Chicago (or perhaps New York if things
worked out). They did get to Chicago, but the record is not clear
as to whether or not they got to New York. No matter what, it is
a sure bet that they enjoyed this special time together.
Claytons letters indicate that he did very well in school and
was one of their top students. Of course, he was probably more
experienced than most of the other students, and he did enjoy the
experience of learning. As a result of his work at the Dunwoody
Institute Clayton won the prestigious Gold Peel Award from The
Baking Industry Magazine in 1953. The award says, Presented
to L. Clayton Dunford in Recognition of Outstanding Achievement in Scientific Baking at Dunwoody Baking School, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 1953.
Clayton was very proud of that award. Upon receiving the
award, Clayton wrote a nice thank you letter to the Baking Industry Magazine, in which he stated,
You probably know how very proud and pleased I am to have been
chosen by your magazine as a recipient of your Gold Peel award
for year 1952, but you dont know how it has bolstered the esteem
held for their dad by his family, when they were informed of his

A photo of the family kneeling in prayer used as the cover for a General Sunday
School Conference program.

39

achievement. We are all very happy. I have a grand wife and seven
wonderful children five boys and two girls, all of whom are in
school except the youngest and when, after more than twenty years
of absence from formal study, their dad achieves scholastically, it
was quite a thrill to them also.41
Other Memories of the 868 South 14th East Home
Many of the older children will remember:

The big army surplus tent and war surplus cots that
Clayton bought for them to go camping in.

Their father taking them over to 8th South in the winter and sledding down a steep highway with sand and
straw at the bottom to keep them from sliding on to
9th East at the bottom of the hill.

Clayton buying little ducklings and chicks for them

to raise.

Top - Carlos, Rob, Claton, Elizabeth, Dan

Bottom - Gloria, John, Carolyn

Clayton,
their Grandfather Bitner
and
Uncle Bob
(Elizabeths
brother)
leaving for
deer hunting
from their
garage
and
driveway.

The day the new baby grand Baldwin piano was delivered to the house. The children were excited, but
Clayton was the most excited.

Clayton playing the piano and singing On the Road

to Mandalay at the top of his lungs.

The study that Clayton made by closing in the

front porch.

The Stokermatic coal-fueled furnace and the coal

room. Later that furnace wa s changed to a gas-fired
furnace. No more Stokermatics to keep filled with
coal, and no more clinkers to gather and toss away

The small brown travel trailer that he used to haul

stuff with.

The big yellow pontoon that Clayton brought home

one day. It was great fun. One of the children would
sit on one end of the pontoon that had only been
filled three fourths with air. Then Clayton would run
and jump on the other end of the pontoon at which
time the person sitting on the collapsed part of the
pontoon would be catapulted screaming into the air.
The children pushed and pulled that pontoon all
over the yard.

Activities in the Church

As promised in his patriarchal blessing, Claytons membership the LDS Church was a major factor in determining the di-

40

rection of his life. This is obvious not only from his writings but
also from the memories his children have of him. For example,
Clayton was pleased to have his brothers serve missions and may
have helped support Burns, but felt bad that he had never served
a mission. He was extremely excited, therefore, to be called as a
stake missionary early in his marriage. In a letter to Burns, then
serving a mission in South Africa, Clayton writes:
Ive been called on a mission! Yesiree, I received my call on the 23rd
of this month two days ago. This afternoon I have written a letter of acceptance Im to prepare myself to work in the Granite
Stake of Zion as a regularly called missionary to serve my two
years or until they see fit to release me. I dont know much about
it, but Im surely going to be humble and do my best to please. Ill
be set apart Sunday night at the Granite Stake House. Im going to need plenty of assistance from the Lord. Wish me success,
Burns.42
Its clear that Clayton was very proud of the missionary service
of his six sons. On the day after Daniel was set apart as a missionary by Elder Spencer W. Kimball to labor in the West Mexican Mission (January 12, 1966), Clayton wrote a sweet letter to
President David O. McKay, President of the Church at that time.
In this letter he proclaimed his love for his family of six sons and
three daughters and his testimony of the Gospel and his gratefulness for his many blessings. Regarding the missionary service of
his sons he wrote:
Now you can see the reason for our overflowing hearts as we listened
to the blessing and promise pronounced upon [Dans] head, once
again according to [his] faithfulness. His brother is now serving
in Argentina, and other brothers have preceded him in missions
to England, Australia, and New England. It will be eight long

41

years before son number six will be a candidate for a call , but he
is preparing even now.
Claytons autobiography summarizes his priesthood ordinations:
In due time further advancement was afforded me---Teacher, Priest,
and then the ultimate honor, to be given the Melchizedek Priesthood and ordained to the office of Elder. It was as an Elder I first
went to the Salt Lake Temple to be married to my sweetheart,
Elizabeth, and to receive my own endowments. Further offices conferred upon me have been a Seventy prior to a Stake mission and
a High Priest when asked to serve in the bishopric of the Yale
Ward, Bonneville Stake, some 13-14 years ago as this is written
(1967).43
Clayton was called as first councilor to Bishop Ferdinand E.
Peterson of the Yale Ward Bishopric in the spring of 1952. A picture of this bishopric Yale Ward Bishopric July 52 was originally
printed in the July 2, 1952, issue of the Church News. Unfortunately, Clayton was not in that bishopric very long, because they
moved to their home on Laird Avenue in the fall of 1952.

The Home at 1835 Laird Avenue

\In his autobiography, Clayton wrote just a few paragraphs
about the home on Laird Avenue. Why so few? Perhaps he just
ran out of steam, or perhaps he just had too much to do. There
was certainly a lot to write about with children growing up and
dating and marrying and driving, being the bishop and Elizabeth
contracting cancer, all of which, and more, occurred while they
lived at the Laird Avenue home.

Once again more children came to bless our home and once again
they demanded larger quarters. This time the move, coming in
1952, was to a large commodious 1835 Laird Avenue, our present home. It seemed to be perfect for our family in every way. Features we liked are these: the front rooms could be closed off from
traffic in the rest of the house, large 14 x 20 living room, ample
dining room, large kitchen, two full bathrooms a1/2 bath with
shower, closets for each of us, playroom and three bedrooms in the
basement and two upstairs, besides a furnace room. An outside
entrance to downstairs further delighted us and has proven to be a

Claytons Scouting Connection

During the years in both the 14th East and Laird Avenue
homes, Clayton encouraged each of his sons to participate in the
scouting programs of the LDS Church. He also participated as an
adult leader perhaps more actively than his children realized at the
time. From Claytons autobiography:
An interest in Scouting dating back to the days when I was a
Tenderfoot scout in Forest Dale has stayed with me through the
years, although as a youth I only achieved the rank of 2nd Class
officially. When it came to be a 1st Class scout, I was denied the
privilege on a technicality and lost interest until much later as an
adult. The program still thrills me with the fervor of its designs for
young boys to develop to young men through scouting. When Robert
was a scout in Yalecrest Ward I finally completed all the requirements for Eagle rank and was proud to stand with my son when he
achieved his Eagle rank also. In those days it was still permissible
for an adult to attain Eagle rank also. Although now it is properly
recognized as strictly a boys program administered by responsible
adults under the sponsorship of the Church for boys. Its still not
an easy thing to do and requires perseverance and determination to
complete.

The home at 1835 Laird Avenue

big factor in its livability.

As a Scouter in the Stake program I was responsible for the

Courts of Honor and much of the merit badge program. Called
by the Great Salt Lake Council I administered the Boards of
review for the newly created Mountain View District. This was
very challenging and we had a great program developing when I was
asked to serve as District Chairman for the District. I made many
friends through the scouting program both on the local and district
level. As assistant scout master to Max Wheelwright, many were
the joys of camping, swimming, canoeing, hiking, etc, and all the

Improvements we have made here include carpeting, painting, patio, garden, landscaping, sprinkling system, tile roofing and general
maintenance, which of course, is never-ending. It is a good home
and Mom makes it so! 44

42

exciting scheduling of programs. Summers were high-lighted with

trips to New Fork Lake, Pinecrest, Bear Lake, Mirror Lake,
Scout-bonfires, singing, and gazing at stars at night while camped
in the Great Outdoors. Knot tying, First Aid, Astronomy, swimming, pioneering, etc., and all the merit badge programs is certainly
an excellent introduction for boys to the interesting world in which
we live. I would encourage all boys to be Eagles!45

Clayton is Called as Bishop

The year 1964 was an important year in the history of the
Bonneville Stake. That summer the boundaries of the Bonneville
and Yalecrest Wards were changed. From the change in boundaries, a new ward, the Yalecrest 2nd Ward, was created. Clayton was
called to be the bishop of the new ward on May 13, 1964 by Frank
Bowers, president of the Bonneville Stake. He accepted the call
immediately and began a 72-hour fast and prayer to the Lord to
help him in choosing his new councilors and in making plans to
unify the members of this new ward.
Forming the new ward was a huge job. The biggest challenge
was to bring the members of two different wards together into one
integrated ward. Clayton met with a lot of people asking for their
advice and council and calling various individuals to positions in
the new ward. In addition to President Bowers, he met with Joseph Wirthlin (Bishop of the Bonneville Ward, and a cousin of
our Mother), Hoyt Brewster (Bishop of the Garden Park ward, an
old friend of Elizabeth and Clayton for many years), and Keith
Smith, Bishop of the Yalecrest Ward.
One of the first acts of the new bishopric was to write a letter
that was sent to every household in the new ward inviting them
43

to the first Sacrament meeting

of the new ward. Clayton felt
that it would be important for
people in the future to able to
say, I attended the first Sacrament meeting of the Yalecrest
2nd Ward.46 Four speakers,
beside Clayton spoke at that
first meeting: Alton Sorenson,
Pearl Johnson, Sterling Don
Colton, and Parley P. Giles.
From Claytons journal entry
of Sunday, July 14: Our very
first meetings as the Yalecrest 2nd Ward were held today!
Priesthood meeting was very
Bishop L. Clayton Dunford
well attended you would have
thought there had been no division. New faces, of course, but still
that warm handclasp and friendly smile of encouragement seemed
to be on all sides.
There were 641 members in the Yalecrest 2nd ward. That is almost twice the size of many wards in Salt Lake City. Also back in
those days, Bishops gave all of the temple recommends unlike today when this responsibility is usually divided between the bishop
and his councilors. In addition, recommends today cover a period
of two years, not just one year as before. In any event, Clayton
spent a great deal of time giving temple recommend interviews,
often in his office in the basement of his home. Ward members
came over at night almost every day of the week, except Monday.
Monday was often bishopric meeting or visiting time in the homes
of ward members.

It seems that things were always going on in the ward. Deaths,

sickness, operations, visits to the hospitals, budget meetings, figuring out how to assess ward members for their budget, letters to
be sent, and wedding receptions to attend, etc. With 641 members, Clayton had a very busy visiting schedule.
Bishops in those years also had pretty much the total responsibility for every member. While that is also still true today, current priesthood leaders and Relief Society presidents are given an
even stronger charge to take care of the members of their own
organizations, with the bishops and councilors having the youth
as their primary responsibility. Considering Claytons journals and
notes, it would appear that he assumed primary responsibility for
the adults of his ward.
Still, Clayton (along with his two councilors) was involved in
almost every decision which dealt with the priesthood quorums
and running the ward. For example, his journal mentions times
when the bishopric planned the Aaronic Priesthood Banquet,
wrote the Budget letter, worked with the addressograph. He also
visited events in progress in the ward to let ward and stake members know that he was interested in what was happening.
A new bishoprics office had to be constructed in the ward
building and new furniture requisitioned from the Presiding Bishoprics Office (PBO) downtown. While the office in the ward was
primarily used by the bishopric for their regular meetings, Clayton
converted one of the bedrooms in the basement to be his office at
home. The basement office was very convenient for Clayton and
ward members as well. Members could visit with a great deal of
confidentiality, walking down the back basement stairs without
any of the family members knowing who was talking with the
bishop.

As indicated above, the toughest challenge faced by the new

bishopric was to bring the two groups of the ward the members
from the Bonneville ward and members from the Yalecrest ward
together. He describes a Young Marrieds party held at Greg Hosfords on Tuesday, August 11 during which, he observed a good
feeling in the group, but (I) was disappointed that more of our
Yalecrest side couples were not in attendance. The Bonneville
side seems to be doing the most supporting.
In another entry (on Saturday August 22) he tells of trouble
brewing in the ward: Misunderstandings and jealousies and illness are creeping into a neighborhood. I must be very diplomatic
and prayerful in this matter. It all began over a violin number to
be played at the Ward Outing, and time and understanding will be
needed to correct the situation.
Very few entries such as the above can be found in his journals. Most entries of any length tell of his great faith and reliance
upon the Lord, of his visits with members and his appreciation
for the many blessings he had received. While many of the entries are of a generally mundane nature (held bishopric meeting
on such and such a night), there are many more that are uplifting
and speak of Claytons great love for the Gospel and his family. If
the journals were reduced to typewritten text, they would make a
fine record of his life.
Even with his work schedule and bishopric responsibilities,
however, he tried his best to not neglect his family. For example,
his journal notes,
I took a young member of our ward to the football game tonight.
We first had a nice swim at the Fort Douglas pool and then we
watched the Minneapolis Vikings pull the chestnuts from a hot fire

44

from his teachings, but rather by his example. Referring to the

existentialist teachings of John-Paul Sartre that say that man is answerable only to himself and that he lives in a purposeless world,
Clayton wrote simply, Tommyrot!49
His belief in the Gospel led him to accept without hesitation
many callings throughout his life, without seeking them, as summarized in this example from his autobiography:

Clayton relsaxing with the fmaily on his birthday 1968

built by the San Francisco 49ers to win a professional league game

24 to 21. The boys name is John Dunford, and he seemed to have
a great time. 47
Clayton knew every member of his ward, whether they were
active or not. For example, he would invite all of the mothers in
the ward to receive flowers on Mothers Day and would announce
their names from the pulpit as each received their flower, whether
she attended meetings or not. One of the reasons he knew the
ward so well was because he often visited them personally after
meetings. His journal records that he let Elizabeth take the car
home from a birthday party at the Wheelwrights, and he made five
visits on foot, the last at the home of a young man where he played
ping-pong with him for a while, as part of his effort to stay close
to him and help him go on a mission. 48
Each of his children knew that his or her father had a testimony of the truthfulness of the Gospel. This came not so much

45

My present call in the Church is Bishop of the newly created Yalecrest 2nd Ward formed in June of 1964 And so through the years
I have served as Deacons Quorum President, Teachers President,
and have held various offices as a leader in M-Men circles at Forest Dale. As a married man much happiness came to Elizabeth
and me when she was asked to be Gleaner leader and I was the
M-Men leader at the same time. It was a unique combination and
very successful, so they say. I have been an advisor to the Aaronic
Priesthood in the First Ward of Liberty Stake and also in Yale
Ward, served on the Aaronic Priesthood Committee of the Liberty
Stake and was Activity Counselor to Pres. Hoyt W. Brewster in
the Y.M.I.A. of the Stake. I have at different times been the Secretary of the Aaronic Priesthood in Forest Dale and Yale Wards
as well as Secretary of the Aaronic Priesthood Adult committee in
Yalecrest Ward. In this last ward I was Priest Advisor when called
to serve Scouting.50

The Bakery Grows and Changes

The 1950s to the 1970s were years of significant growth and
change for the Dunford Bread Co. The trend in shopping was for
new, large supermarkets, and so the bakery changed to delivering bread for over thirty outlets. The #14 Bakery on 9th South

became a very lucrative investment as one of the baking locations

from where they could wholesale the goods each day. It had been
a supplier for the restaurants down town and enjoyed an enviable
reputation for their pies and large chocolate donuts. This outlet
opened the door to the restaurant trade in 1958.
Shopping patterns continued to change so that it became wise
to close all the outlets and do all the production and marketing
from the one plant. The
first outlet to close was
Claytons #1 building at
668 So 9th East, and he
moved over to the #14
bakery (the restaurant
division) on 9th South,
assisting Burns in that
operation. What an emotional experience that
was for all, especially for
Clayton and Elizabeth.
They had been married
for thirty years and the
#1 building had been
the focus point for most
of their energy and time
as well as dreams and
plans and security for
the future. Most of their
worldly goods were attributed to their efforts
Clayton at work at the bakery
with that building and its
purpose. For Clayton it was like being a man without a country.
He felt almost betrayed.51He made several efforts to re-coup the

The Dunford Logo

The Dunford Bakers girl logo

property by attracting other

businesses to the building,
and built an A&W Root Beer
stand next door, but the area
just would not support the
ventures, and they closed
also. The last bakery to close
was #14. The sweet-dough
table, the do-nut machine
and the big freezer were all
moved to the plant at 2143 S.
9th East.

Problems with the Partners Come To a Head Stephen and

Clayton Resign
Although they usually got along, Clayton sometimes felt he
was on the outs with his brothers, most often with Stephen. At
the weekly meeting held on 12 July 1967, Stephen and Clayton had
a verbal clash that left Burns and Paul with serious concerns about
the future of the partnership A half a year later, on 26 Jun 1968,
Stephen resigned as president. The next week Burns was voted in
as president.

46

Stephen suggested the 2nd generation be considered as new

owners and managers. He had no desire to come back to the bakery. He was interested in continuing his work with the Utah Golf
Association. He suggested the value of the stock in the company
was about $100,000.00 and wanted to sell.
On 9 July 1969, Stephen suffered a heart attack while he was at
a restaurant eating dinner. He was rushed to the hospital and put

way things were going and had gone with the bakery. The thought
of her husband, Mr. Dunford Baker, working for the dairy company was devastating to her; she seemed unable to cope with the
situation.52

Claytons Light Dims as Elizabeths Goes Out

Earlier, in May, 1969, Elizabeth had begun having problems
with loss of blood. An operation in August removed a cancerous
growth about the size of a lemon. The doctors thought they got
all the cancer and were having her take cobalt radiation treatments
only as a precaution. None of her family members, not even Clayton, realized that Elizabeths passing was imminent.
Clayton came home one day in August 1969 and announced
to his family his decision to leave Dunford Bakers, after being
its founder in 1931 as a young high school graduate of seventeen
years of age. He writes that he had terribly mixed feelings, and it
was difficult for him to say exactly why he wanted to leave. These
were a few reasons:

Stephen, Clayton, Burns, and Paul Stevens

on oxygen. After midnight his condition was much more unstable,

so he was taken to surgery to have a pace maker put in his chest.
He died on the operating table early the next morning.
The next month, August 1969, Clayton resigned from the bakery. Elizabeth was not well. Clayton hoped to spend some time
with her before it was too late. They went on a three-week trip
to Hawaii. When they returned, he was approached by Hi-Land
Dairy people with an offer to be the manager of their milk plant.
Clayton accepted their offer against the objections of his wife,
records Maurine. Elizabeth was very angry and resentful for the
47

Thirty-eight years of baking is quite a long time to be

on one job.
Elizabeths conditionhe felt he needed to with her
more. I am always fearful, but trust the Lord.
Burns had been handpicked by Steve to be his successor not him. I did not strongly hold out for the
job and finally gave my support to my younger brother,
Burns. He is a good man and had been at my side right
from his return from his mission.

because the blood count (white corpuscles) is down. We talk together a lot. What if?

Paul Stevens was quite neutral, but Clayton thought he

sided with Burns. Burns was not interested for himself
and probably would have stepped aside for me, but I felt
he, too, needed the chance.

We had long ago decided we had had a good life together. What
would we do to change it? Nothing! We counted our blessings daily
and thanked God for His goodness to us. Our nightly prayers were
a confession of our imperfections and a plea to help us do better.
As I knelt by her side, arm in arm, heads bowed and often touching
lightly, her soft voice was pleading yet strong in the faith; her words
of devotion to Him always sustained me, too.

The Hi-Land dairy job offered a new life and a challenge, which was enticing.
The die was cast. There were arrangements to be made legally,
and Randon Wilson, his daughter Gayles husband, was the company lawyer and assisted in the details.53

What if? perish the thought!

One could not have surprised his children any more than if
he had announced that the sun was not coming up the next day.
Clayton always went to work he never stayed home a day that
most of the children can remember. To leave the bakery was unthinkable but so it was.

Our family was growing; our sons and daughters had married well
all in the Temple. They had fulfilled honorable missions for the
Church in all parts of the world. They had or were getting their
college educations. They had good jobs with bright futures and
remained firm in their Church commitments. Our grandchildren
were beginning to bless their homes.

Claytons typically creative activities continued, however, such

as his preparations for Halloween. He could be seen preparing a
witchs brew over a fire in a large tin can strung from a tri-pole,
the brew of blood (red colored water), entrails (small pieces of
cut hot dogs) to give to all the neighborhood children who were
attracted by the fire. Children who had been out trick-or-treating
welcomed the hot food and cheery fire, and a good crowd always
came to see that crazy bishop and his bonfire, he writes.54
By November 1969, Elizabeths situation had grown more serious. Claytons journal records the anguish he felt as her illness
progressed:
Elizabeth has not been feeling very well of late. Still no complaints to me, but I can tell something is wrong. She gets up at
night in her misery. She has not had the cobalt treatments lately

My work had provided a comfortable home and good standing in

the community. Our friends were steadfast and many. The Church
had provided much opportunity for vigorous service and we were
not through yet! Why should we change anything even if we
could? There was no reason at all. We were happy together; we
understood one another; we had complete faith in the other. Thirtytwo years of married life and thirty-eight years of courtship had
made us as one. Love had made our happy home a heaven.55
He writes of Monday, November 17, 1969, the day she went to
the hospital for the last time:
It was in the early afternoon while I was seated at my desk at HiLand Dairy that the telephone rang for me. Mr. Dunford, your
48

wife is on the line. Will you take her call? Certainly. To telephone at this hour was not the usual thing, but I suspected nothing
urgent. Honey, you must come for me. I cant stand it any longer.
I have called Bob and he is making arrangements at the McKay
Hospital to take some tests. Please come.

ably morphine or other pain-killers, more often. She had ceased

talking to Clayton and just held his hand. Then Elizabeth went
into shock, and Dr. Bob, as Clayton called his brother-in-law,
ordered Elizabeth placed in intensive care. Clayton began staying
the whole day and all night through. The nurses had prepared an
adjoining bed for him to rest on while he attended to Elizabeths
needs. Clayton wrote, This room, her room, is to be my home
for the next little while. Isnt this the way it has been all our lives
-- where Elizabeth, Mom, is, thats where home is.57

I cleared my desk methodically unhurriedly. After all, hadnt we

gone through this before?
At home Elizabeth was packing her things. She would stop, go
into the other room, look around, and come back to the bedroom
to do a little more. She would stop again momentarily just to sit
and rest. (I know now she was in deep pain, but never a word of
complaint just resolution).

For the first time in years, only when out of the city, Clayton began absenting himself from bishopric and other meetings
at the Yalecrest Second Ward. The Lord knows where I am, he
wrote.

I packed her bag in the car, leaving the house to Mary [Elizabeths
sister] (she had come up from California a day or two before for
a visit) and the children. Everything would be all right. We sat
close together in the car, hand in hand, as we had done so many
hundreds of times before. We spoke in brief conversation. No
need for a long discourse. Even our thinking was as one. She knew
me; I knew her.

Flowers and cards arrived, but Elizabeth did not see them.
For twenty-four hours a day, day and night, Claytons attention and
that of the doctors and nurses,was constant. Dear Lord, when
will it be? Clayton asks in his journal. Let it be now; Mom has
suffered enough. Surely her journeys end is near. He was not
prepared to be staying in the hospital, so he brought no change
of clothes nor pajamas and passed the time reading stories to the
children in bed in the childrens wing. Every time any of his children went up to the hospital, Clayton would always bolster their
spirits. He was very strong throughout most this trying ordeal,
but he sometimes broke down in tears and wept.

David O. McKay Hospital, newly built by the Church, loomed up

all too quickly after the all-too-short ride up to Salt Lake City along
the freeway and mountainside road overlooking the vista of Great
Salt Lake. It will be just for some more tests, wont it?56
By Wednesday, the 19th Elizabeth was still undergoing tests.
Dr. Robert Bitner, her doctor and brother, was very kind and solicitous compared to the other doctors who were strictly professional,
but Elizabeth could not seem to get comfortable. By the following
week, her pain was worse, and they were giving her shots, prob-

49

As Elizabeths situation became more serious, prayers for a

rapid recovery became prayers for her release. On December 1,
1969, the light of Claytons life dimmed, as that of the love of
his life, his wife Elizabeth, went out. The remarkable woman,
Elizabeth, companion and wife to whom Clayton had cleaved for
thirty-three years, was released from the cares, trials and troubles

of this earth life.

Clayton called
his sons and daughters at about 4:00
am the morning of
December 1st to
let them know that
their mother had
slipped away earlier that morning at
2:15 while sleeping.
Clayton was himself
sleeping at the time.
He said the nurses,
who
periodically
checked in on her,
awakened him to
tell him that she was
no longer alive. He
called Dr. Bob and
Clayton and Elizabeth at Rob and Jills wedding,
Dec. 1968
talked to him for
about an hour and
then called his children later to let them get a little more sleep.

After letting Aunt Mary, Aunt Helen, and Uncle Bob be with
her for a while, Elizabeths weeping sons and daughters again surrounded her bed while Clayton told of the love and devotion he
felt for her. He told them that children brought unnumbered joys
and blessings to parents, but that the greatest blessing a man could
have was the relationship and love between a man and his wife.
And then he wept. To comfort their heavy hearts, he read from
Doctrine and Covenants, Section 42:44-47:
And the Elders of the Church, two or more, shall be called, and
shall pray for and lay their hands upon them in my name; and if
they die they shall die unto me, and if they live they shall live unto
me. Thou shalt live together in love, insomuch that thou shalt weep
for the loss of them that die, and more especially for those that have
not a hope of a glorious resurrection. And it shall come to pass
that those that die in me shall not taste of death, for it shall be
sweet unto them; and they that die not in me, woe unto them, for
their death is bitter.58
The Red Book contains a letter that Clayton has called, The
Last Love Letter to My Wife, Elizabeth Bitner Dunford, 1914
1969. It was written two days after Elizabeths passing, December 3, 1969:
My Darling Elizabeth:

All of their sons and daughters arrived between 5:00 and 6:00
am and spent the next few sacred moments around Elizabeths
bed with Clayton. They could see that the furrows of pain were
gone and that she had a soft, reassuring smile on her lips. No one
had touched her. The little crooked smile, as she called it, was
still on her lovely, beautiful face. She was always so self-conscious
about it.

My very last love letter to you in this life. We lay you in Mother
Earth this afternoon from whence this body comes and is now to
be returned. Your Spirit has already been received in Paradise and
what a glorious reunion that must be with Dad and Mother Bitner
and Dad and Mother Dunford. I wish I were there with you, but
the Lord wants me to tarry here a while longer. Ill be with you as
soon as I am beckoned. What joy! What happiness!

50

Then we can continue in our Fathers (and Mothers) plan for us.
I humbly pray and

of her husband, Randon, to accompany him to various affairs

where a partner would be appreciated. He attended choir practice,
helped Douglas with a plumbing job, and celebrated his birthday
with the family, as if they needed to do that. But I love it! He
attended Christmas socials and saw to the needs of his flock.

know this will come to pass. I will remember always this love we
shared together on this sphere and pledge to you ray eternal companionship. The children, our children, you have given me will be
our eternal blessings because of you. I love you with all the eternal
fibers of my soul and I want you to know that I know you return
in full measure to overflowing this same love for me. Thank you,
My Love!

Clayton and Gloria made the traditional pre-Christmas visit

to children dressed in the same candy-stripped red and white oldfashioned nightgowns Elizabeth had made, and greeted the children at the front door with a big chocolate doughnut. Sleigh bells
jingling, they had a wonderful time.

Our spirits and our eternal bodies will be united again as the one
we have been here. I do thank God for his blessing unto me for
giving me you that we may share one another for all the eternities
to come.

On Christmas Eve Clayton prepared as best he could without My Love the Christmas stockings and arranged the gailywrapped gifts in their accustomed places. The children at home
listened attentively to the traditional reading of the Christmas
Story from the Bible and also enjoyed hearing again the story of
The Littlest Angel.

Good night, my Darling; and good morning, too. May you have
the peace that only Father and Mother reserves for the very most
valiant, Well done, Elizabeth, my daughter. Come unto me and
I will give you rest.

Christmas was a happy, happy family day. Elizabeth was here

in all our thoughts. A very poignant day of remembrance for mom
and her goodness and for the beautiful blessings of our Heavenly
Father. Santa Claus was very good to everyone.59

Your loving Husband, Clayton,

P.S. Please give my love to all there with you.

Clayton Struggles to Start Life Anew

After spending a period of days feeling nothing but numb and
blank, Clayton realized that he needed to get on with life. Perhaps
surprising to some, he was not released from his bishopric duties,
and he tried to get back into the stream of life again. He sometimes would ask his eldest daughter, Gayle, with the acquiescence

51

A week later Clayton received a letter from Zions First National Bank stating that the mortgage on their home had been paid
in full. On the envelope, Clayton wrote, Our dream home is ours
at last, but Mom is here only in spirit. The spirit she leaves with us
is love abounding and home sweet home.

Clayton Is Released As Bishop

ing way as to know that after six and half years as bishop, I was
to be released; released while we as a ward were at the crest of activity, not at any slump. And its true, our ward is just great!! His
words were a great comfort to me and it is true and only natural,
I suppose, that after this length of time I may have imagined the
time of release and what my attitude would be. Mixed is a trite
word, but right now I know of none other.

After serving six and a half years as bishop, the time came for
Claytons release. Stake President Russell M. Nelson, later a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, paid Clayton a visit
one evening in November. Clayton opened the front door at the
first chime of the bells, he recorded, and ushered President Nelson
into the front room and invited him to sit down. President Nelson
graciously admired the dcor and made some polite small talk in a
friendly and warm manner and then said,

And so I am to be released! After other kind words, he requested

suggestions from me for consideration of my successor and that I
send them to his home. The date of change was to be kept secret,
but I knew it was set for Sacrament Meeting of Sunday, March
22, 1970.60

I suppose you are wondering why I am here. Yes, I replied, and

honored that you came to my home.
Well, bishop, I sit in a position of great responsibility as your
stake president. It would be very easy for me to have all our ward
bishops just continue in their calling, because all are doing good
jobs. But my job was not meant to be just easy.
He continued, There are to be a number of changes in the stake
and after a splendid record of achievement in the Yalecrest Second
Ward we believe others should have the same opportunity for growth
as you have had. The development of leaders is a never-ending
Church process in its organizations. You have served well your
membership; they love you as few men are privileged to know; your
devotion to your call is evident on every hand; your support of
all the Stake programs is appreciated so much; Yalecrest Second
was always the first in with its assessments. As its first bishop,
you have succeeded outstandingly well in uniting two different ward
memberships into one cohesive, active and spiritual ward. My love,
appreciation and congratulations are extended to you as a brother
in the Gospel.

In anticipation of their pending release, Clayton invited the

complete bishopric, clerks and their wives to a social and dinner
at a restaurant to inform them of the coming changes. He gave
each a gift of remembrance and appreciation hoping that each of
them will remember our time of service together in the greatest
organization in the world The Church of Jesus Christ
I am humbly grateful for the Lord for this choice experience and to
my many co-workers in the Gospel plan, those who have assisted me
in every way, willingly and prayerfully carrying on the work. My
Counselors and Clerk have ever been at my call and hours upon
hours, days upon days, weeks upon weeks, months upon months,
and yes, years upon years we have valiantly done our best. I do
not forget our helpmates our wives, who also have sacrificed their
husbands and own time and effort to the great cause of brotherhood. I do not forget Elizabeth who encouraged and assisted me
in all I did. She was, indeed, the mother of our ward. Dawna
tried, but her effort was directed in other paths. I do not demean
her in any way and I appreciate all she did to support me in my

And so, President Nelson went on to inform me in such a comfort52

call as bishop.

15.
16.
17.
18.
19.

And least of all do I, nor will I ever, forget those wonderful 250
families, some 650 members, of that great Yalecrest Second Ward
of the Bonneville Stake of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints!!! 61

20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.

Of course, life goes on and challenges do not cease. By April,

1970, Clayton was out of work at Hi-Land Dairy out of work for
the first time in over 39 years.62
In July of 1970, Clayton had begun dating Dawna Whipple
and they became engaged. She met the family on July 29th at a
special meeting he had called for that purpose.63 They married for
time only on September 4, 1970. Unfortunately, the marriage did
not work out, and eleven months later, on October 7, 1971 their
divorce became final. The best summary of this sad period comes
from a two-page note written by Clayton in June 1971 entitled, I
list my problems and major events:

1. Elizabeth dies December 1969

2. Retire (change) from bakery 1969, November

3. Released as bishop November [his journal states March 22, 70]

4. Remarriage September 1970
5. Sun Valley, Hawaii vacation
6. Employed at HiLand Dairy 8 months
7. Released at HiLand Dairy

8. Study Guild International formed; major investor; mutual funds
sold
9.Non-performance of Hydro-Gro forces drastic involvement in SGI
10.Hydro-Gro defaults, L.J. Heaton fails to redeem note


11.Trying to learn bookkeeping under pressure
12. Student sales extremely slow, forces lay off of employees; initial
startup costs very high


13. Pledged Dunford note as security for $43,000 loan
14. Harassment at work; pressures; money to pay bills; financing
for new year

53

26.

27.

28.
29.
30.

Government restricting legislation; C.A.B.

Suit by ICES, injunction

Dawna moves her belongings back to her home; leaves me
No rapport with her son, Brian. He uses me.

Johns hip deteriorates to point of major surgery at hospital.
now recovering very well
Little John (David and Janet) has severe eye accident
Gloria graduates from East; leaves for summer at Jacobs Lake
Resumed therapeutic painting
Robert and Jill graduate; move to Michigan
Carlos and Judy lose their new baby; another is born to them
Doug and Annettes Billy has rare malady but surgery saves
his life

Dan and Penny married; tries college, but does not like it; Dan
has back and leg problems
Problems of ward and its members; marriages; funerals; youth;
organizational leadership

Divorce staring at me. Steve Whipple on his mission
Dawnas hysterectomy.
Dean Jones irresponsibility of payments 64

Eight months later, he writes:

I hardly know how to write the following or even if it should be
written, for I am writing in retrospect of a chapter in my life which,
to say the least, is a topsy-turvy time of happiness and anticipation
thrust into sadness, puzzlement and utter rejection
Here I am, 58 years old, in good health, with much to live for, yet
with thoughts of doubt, despair and disillusionment mingled with
stronger thoughts of counting my blessings, determination and optimism for the good life. During this time, my love, my Companion,
my Wife has fallen victim to cruel cancer. Even anticipating that
sometime, no one knew when, Elizabeth was to die, yet we decided
together to go on as we were at the time. We were happy in every
way no sense in going to pieces over an event, which is everyones
destiny sooner or later. And then to have Death make his call and

take your Beloved is a trauma only those who have suffered it can
understand.

Church also wants

information before
performing a Temple marriage. As
they asked Clayton about previous
marriages, he told
them about Elizabeth and they
asked him if that
was all. He was
devastated when he
had to mention the
divorce from Dawna. Pounding on
the table and then
putting his head
down in his hands,
he sobbed out,
Lucille Grace Brinkerhoff Higgs Dunford
Must this follow me for
the rest of my life? My heart was full of sorrow for him and his
distress at the situation. I comforted him and tried to calm him
down in the best way I knew how, kiddingly saying that without
the divorce, we would not be there this morning asking to be married. After he calmed down, we embraced for a moment and then
proceeded with the Endowment and then on into the sealing room.
It was not until then, kneeling at the altar and smiling at each other
that Clayton seemed to finally relax and was ready to enjoy the moment. As he smiled, a wonderful thing happened to me. A warm,
wonderful feeling beginning at the bottom of my feet and going right
up my body very quickly came over me and then I distinctly felt the
pressure of arms, gentle, feminine and tender, placed around my

Another vital aspect of my life has changed my work. From

anticipating the rewards of a lifetime of effort in establishing and
seeing the fruits of your labor grow from most humble beginnings,
Mothers kitchen, to Utahs largest private retail-wholesale bakery,
respected in the community and the economic stability of hundreds
of employees, to joblessness followed by a new challenge in the dairy
business and then joblessness again, is a metamorphosis indeed. 65

Life Gets Better

Fortunately, the Lord, in His providence, provided a bright
spot in these challenges in the form of a lovely companion, the
former Lucille Grace Brinkerhoff Higgs, whose husband had died
in an airplane accident years before. They were married June 30,
1972, at the Manti Temple. Clayton chose the date. Since both of
their sealing marriages were performed in May, he teased that he
always wanted to be married to a June bride and so it was. Their
marriage in the Manti Temple, they thought, would prevent most
of the reminders of sorrow from the experience with D, as they
called Dawna, and also they were going back to the spot where
Clayton had proposed to Grace and given her a very beautiful
engagement ring. 66
Grace recounts the following:
When we arrived we were taken into the Recorders Office for an
interview. We were somewhat surprised as we thought all that was
a formality for first-time weddings. Not so. The State requires
information that must be completed and which we had done, but the
54

waist. I never questioned. I felt and knew it was Elizabeth who

was there to witness this union and give her blessings to it. I loved
her then; I love her still and look forward to the day when we shall
meet as friends.67

considerate acts too numerous for Grace to mention.68

In the Spring of 1973 Clayton supported Gloria in her desires

to live in Europe and paid for her ticket to Switzerland and back.
By the time she returned in December, the SGI venture had folded. It was said that Claytons total losses approximated $250,000.
Grace wrote that Clayton ended the fiasco at Study Guild with
honor and dignity---refusing to do anything to cast a reflection on
his name or his character.
The home on Laird Avenue was one of the losses he had to
bear. But, as Grace said, No looking back-- only forwardto
build a new life, a new home and new memories. They were both
proud and happy to be in a new home they built at 3584 Millstream
Lane. Located in the Olympus Cove area on the east bench above
the Salt Lake Valley, it was a home that fulfilled their needs. With
Grace, he beautified the home in a number of ways, such as by installing a garden, a fountain, a patio roof and even painted a scene
on the mailbox out front.
Clayton and Grace continued active in the church and were
called to be the temple coordinators for the high priest group of
their ward. Clayton took the responsibility of telephoning, record
keeping, setting up meetings, reminding all of their responsibility
to attend the temple one night a month. In addition, he supported
Grace in her calling to teach the night Relief Society Cultural Refinement lessons. Typical of Clayton, he supported her by cleaning the house for her evening Relief Society lessons, building the
fire and quietly keeping it stoked on cold winter nights, creating a
gorgeous salad that looked like a flower garden for her lesson on
Japan, pinch-hitting as the pianist and many, many more kind and
55

By February, 1974, Clayton was closing the books and winding

down all the old companies with which he had been associated,
including SGI. Nick Repapis, one of Claytons partners and an
apparent cause of much of SGIs financial difficulties, was being
held in jail in Switzerland on a number of charges.

Clayton Completes His Mission

Claytons last calling in his ward would be as the temple coordinator for the high priest group in the East MillCreek 10th
Ward. He had organized a trip to the Provo temple for the members of his ward on August 19th 1976. Although he was not feeling
well, Clayton felt that it was his responsibility to make the trip
and attend the temple because he was their leader. While going
through an endowment session that day, he had a heart attack that
led to his death. He made it all the way through the session to the
celestial room where he collapsed. He was taken by ambulance to
the Utah Valley Regional Medical Center, but it was determined
that he was dead upon arrival.
His passing was a shock to all of his family. His family knew
that he suffered from high blood pressure, but were told that his
doctor told him not a week prior to his death that his hypertension
was controlled well enough that he could go off his medication.
Those of his children that suffer from high blood pressure and
know of the modern guidelines for taking or discontinuing medication for this condition feel that he stopped taking his medication
far too soon.
The feeling of sorrow that the family had upon the death of
their wonderful Father can only be compared to the feelings they

had when their Mother passed away. These feelings, however,

were compounded by the suddenness of his passing. Clayton was
the glue that held the family together. He was the one that had
brought the families together on a monthly basis for many years
prior to his death. The only thing that really sustained his children was the knowledge that he had endured to the end, that he
had fought the good fight, and right up to the very end of his life
was serving in the work of the Lord, Jesus Christ.

The Childrens Recollections

The following remarks are reflections from each son and
daughter, as well as Grace Higgs Dunford, Claytons last
wife and widow.

His funeral in the East MillCreek 10th ward was attended

by hundreds of his friends, associates and relatives. David was
asked to represent the family six brothers and three sisters in
speaking at the funeral.

The nine chldren of Clayton and Elizabeth at Midway in 1983

Top row: Douglas, Gayle, Gloria, Carolyn, Robert, Daniel
Bottom row: Carlos, David, John

Claytons casket before burial at the Salt Lake City Cemetary

56

Carlos Memories
Clayton was a large man, over 6 feet tall and not too heavy as
I recall. He was of medium build, with brown wavy hair and his
eyes were blue. He had a prominent Love nose that was not unattractive, but he thought quite large. Love was his mothers
maiden name and the family considered itself to have large noses
in general. While Moms Bitner nose was more long and narrow,
Dads nose was wide and flat. Maybe their combination made us
childrens noses are just right, huh?
I recall the odor he carried home with him from the bakery.
It wasnt unpleasant, but still very distinctive. He would wear
whites to and from work, as is customary for bakers then and
now, and his shirt and pants would carry the smells of his work
place. It is inevitable that the spills of sugars, syrups, flour and
the other ingredients of mixing and baking products at the bakery would find their way to his uniform and he would naturally
wear them home.
Dad and Sports
Dad was a very good basketball player during his high school
years and I recall seeing newspaper clippings about his playing
days. Its been a long time since seeing any of the clippings, but
he must have been quite a good player since there were numerous
clippings and the pictures were very large. The school is long
gone, but I still meet other, now elderly men, who remember Clayton from their high school days. As for sports for their children,
Dad and Mom never pressed sports on us. However, individually,
I think several of my brothers were on high school varsity teams.
Dad enjoyed going to sports events because I remember going to
several basketball and football games with him and Mom when I

57

was a boy. For example, when our family went to Moms parents,
the Bitners, for Thanksgiving dinner, a U. of U. football game
with Utah State was usually on the menu, as well as turkey. In
those early years we would walk from the Bitner home on 12th East
and 2nd South to the football stadium at the University of Utah.
After the game we would walk back and then have a traditional
Thanksgiving dinner. Dad was very enthusiastic about his support for a particular team. He would yell and holler with the best,
much to my sometimes great embarrassment. His enthusiasm for
most things in life is one of his endearing traits in my memory
Dads Temperament
Dad was very even tempered and maybe a little laid back. I
never remember him spanking me or slapping me at any time. He
did konk me pretty hard on the head with his knuckles some
times, but I didnt associate that with being unusual or mean.
Other than the occasional trip Ill speak later about, Dad
wasnt too involved with me or the other kids. However, I do
remember some horseplay when I was a little child. I would sneak
up behind him and wrestle him. He would then reach back and
grab me behind the neck and pull me forward over his shoulder.
I thought it was great fun and did it fairly often if I found him
kneeling on the floor at about my height. One day, he pulled me
over his shoulder so forcefully that hitting the floor broke my collar bone. Mom was sure mad at him for that.
Speeding To Work One Day
I recall one day riding to work in the family car with Dad.
We lived, at the time, on 14th East above East High School. The
bakery was on 9th East, down 7th South, which is a fairly steep road
down the hill. Dad must have been in a hurry because he let the

car pick up speed going down the hill. Sure enough! We heard a
siren and saw red flashing lights from a police cruiser. Dad dutifully stopped and explained that he had been in a little rush to
get something out of the oven. The officer listened and then said
something like, Well, since I saw your brake lights go on and off
several times, I know you were probably in control of the car so
Ill just give you a warning ticket. I know Dad was really embarrassed at the time.
Hunting and Fishing
Dad loved to hunt and fish and found several occasions to
take me along. Dave and Doug were involved as well in the later
years, but naturally, because I was the oldest, I was able to be the
only one of the kids with him in the early years. Later, he took the
other kids as occasion allowed.
I recall several great hunting and fishing trips. My first fish
was caught at Scout Lake, high in the Uintah Mountain s above
Mirror Lake. When I was about 8 years old, Dad and some friends
and their children traveled there in the spring, before the Scouts
took over. They found some huge logs along the shore and tied
them together. Then they pushed the resulting raft out onto the
lake. Dad had a tiny (almost miniature it seemed) Neptune outboard motor that he packed in because there was no road to the
lake from the highway. He attached the motor to the raft, and it
propelled the raft slowly around the lake. It was slow going, but
just the right speed to troll for trout. On my first trip to the lake,
I had fished most of the day without catching anything and as I
was reeling in my line for the last time, lo and behold, a fish! A
fish! A real live slippery and squirmy fish. Boy was I excited!!!
Dad showed me how to do it in and take the hook out. Then he
showed me how to clean it and get it ready for the frying pan. It

probably tasted great, but I dont remember now.

I recall several great pheasant hunting trips with Dad as well.
Dad would like to take his boys along because he would send us
into the ditches, like bird dogs, to flush up the birds. Pheasants
would run ahead of walking hunters so Dad would have us get into
a ditch bank and walk slowly to the end of the ditch. At the end of
the ditch, the hunters would wait to see if birds were flushed out.
The excitement and thrill of a pheasant, suddenly taking flight, is
one of the great memories I have as youngster and teen. Everything is quiet. Then, SUDDENLY, in a great rustle of bushes and
rapidly beating wings, the pheasant is air borne. The normal and
usual loud sound of a pheasant taking flight is magnified by the
surprise. The birds would fly maybe 50 yards or so and then glide
for blocks before landing again. Later on when I was old enough,
Dad and Mom gave Dave and me shotguns for Christmas, and we
got to be pretty good shots.
I remember we went to Delta, Utah, one morning and had
gotten up early to arrive before dawn and the start of the hunt.
We arrived at the field while it was just getting light. We looked
out and saw hundreds of birds. I had never seen anything like it.
They were everywhere. I never saw it like that again. Dad commented that it was like that when he was younger, only all the
time. Pheasants were pretty scarce in my youth and are even more
so now. But alas, on this occasion in Delta, when it came time for
the opening, the birds had disappeared into the underbrush and
while we still had a pretty good hunt, w didnt scare up a whole
flock like we had seen in the morning.
Dad (and Moms) Family Rules
1. No staying out too late. Mom and Dad insisted on know-

58

ing who we were out with and what time we would be home.
There was a time when I wasnt very good at getting in on time
and so Dad sat me down and said hed make a rule. He asked if I
could abide by it and, of course, since the car was at stake and he
owned it, I said yes. Heres how our deal worked. I would
have to tell Mom or Dad, in advance, what time I expected to be
home for a particular date. Sometimes we would discuss what I
would be doing and the likely time that event would end. Then I
had to say what I would do after the event, such as going to get a
bite to eat or something like that. Then Dad would let me set the
time I would be home. If it was too late, hed object and Id have
to reset it. Then after agreeing on a time, the rule wasthis - for
every minute I was late, I would lose the use of the car for a full
day. I was quickly cured of coming home too late. If Mom and
Dad were asleep when I came home, I was to wake them to let
them know I was home.
2. When Mom and Dad werent home, no friends in the
house. PERIOD!
3. If I was alone with a girl, NEVER be in the same room
with her without seeing that a door was open. Ive tried to live by
that rule ever since. I can hear Dad just as clearly tonight as when
he said it the first time.
4. His Words of Wisdom:
a.
b.

c.


d.
e.

Avoid the very appearance of evil.

Never date a person you would be unwilling to take to the
Temple.

Always conduct yourself as if the Savior were riding in
the back seat. Sometimes the word Savior would be
replaced with mom or us, meaning Mom & Dad.
Remember who you are.

Never! Ever! Ever give up! A favorite quote by
59

Winston Churchill that he had reproduced on a sign

and hung in his downstairs office at Laird Avenue.
There have been several times, as an adult, when I felt discouraged, that these words would come to me. I took courage and
with renewed determination, stayed my course and continued
to persevere. As a man, now older than my father was at his
death, these words have been important in my life.
General Attitudes and Characteristics
Dad was probably one of the best examples of manhood I
know. He honored his priesthood, was always active in the church
and tried his best to follow the example of the Savior. I never
knew Dad to partake of cigarettes, alcohol, tea or coffee - even
on a camp or hunting trip with other men. I know he wasnt perfect, but I never heard him swear or use any cuss words or yell at
anyone or anything in anger or frustration. He always controlled
his temper and speech. Dad was honest in all his dealings and he
stressed honesty in his children. As he said when I was younger
and I have learned since, honesty is always the best policy. I recall
another favorite saying. You catch more flies with honey than
with vinegar. In other words, always be a nice person.
To sum up, I recall Dad as a great man, but one I didnt know
very well. I didnt talk much to Dad because he seemed distant
and not too much involved or simply wasnt home. I learned later,
however that this trait was terribly hard for him to deal with because he really loved his family and wanted to be more a part of
things. I know he felt sad that the impression he sometimes gave
people was of a stern and fierce individual. In my later years, I
knew him as one of the most tender-hearted and emotional men
I have known.

The Word of Wisdom and Gold Watches

When teaching about the Word of Wisdom, which is partially
a doctrine of abstinence from tobacco, tea coffee, and alcohol,
Dads approach to me was unique. I dont know if my siblings
heard this, but this is what he said to me. He had received a nice
gold watch on his 21st birthday, given to him by his mother. I
believe it was a round model with a chain, designed to be worn
with a vest in the old style of the 20s and 30s. She had said it was
from his father, who would have wanted him (Clayton) to have it
since he had never smoked a cigarette in his life. The watch was a
reward for the incentive of never touching tobacco. Dad had been
given this incentive as a youth, by his mother on behalf of her husband. I believe this meant total and complete abstinence,
When I was about 10 or 11 years old, Dad sat me down and
told me the above story. He then said, Carlos, Ill give you the
same incentive I was given by my father. If you do not, even so
much as take a single puff, on a cigarette, your Mother and I will
give you a fine gold watch when you reach age 21. Dad then
added the crowning impact to this incentive. He said, If you
are ever tempted to smoke and just absolutely must try it, I want
you to bring two cigarettes to me and Ill smoke my first one with
you. What was I to do? I couldnt spoil my own Dads life in this
regard. I decided then and there that I would never, never smoke
a cigarette. To find out if I received a watch, youll have to read
my own personal history.
Dad and Education
During all of Dads years, he was interested in self improvement. During his baking years, he went to several schools to become a better baker. Especially in his later years, he took the time

to actually go back to school and he took several evening classes at

the university. He became interested in astronomy and was fond
of going out at night and learning to identify the constellations.
Later he told me he had always wanted to be a teacher like his Dad
and probably would have been if the Depression, the bakery business and a family hadnt come along.
Dad and Mom Together
I never recall one single word spoken in anger or in a loud tone
of voice between Mom and Dad. I dont remember either of them
putting the other down or using a sarcastic or degrading tone
of voice towards the other. Im certain they must have had differences, but they always worked it out in private. Dad was always
very solicitous of Mom. As far as I could tell, Dad was courteous
and kind and Mom was very supportive and thoughtful in return.
Dad would often write love letters to Mom and she wrote several
back. They seemed very much in love through out their married
lives.
Although Dad never talked in the least about the most personal parts of their marital relationship, but after I became married and could understand such things, I always had the feeling
that he and Mother enjoyed a good intimate relationship. I do
remember Mother saying one time later in her life that she never
denied Dad his urges when they came. I know that Dad loved
his wife dearly and was always her supporter and cheerleader as
far as we children were concerned. She was always very loving
in return with him and about him and supported him throughout
her life. She wrote some very kind and tender thoughts to him on
several occasions.

60

Davids Memories
As with Carlos, I dont believe that I had the closeness with
Dad that some boys seem to have with their fathers. I dont remember any times when he expressed his great love and affection
for me. Fact of the matter, there were times when I had the feeling that he just put up with me. He didnt come to any of my
ward basketball games, and only once do I remember him coming
to hear me play in one of my dance bands. But it must be remembered that there were seven children after me, and Dad did work
long, and unusual, hours at the bakery.
And so, I dont hold that against Dad in the least bit, and appreciate him as being a great Father, who set a wonderful example
for me and taught me lessons for which I will always be grateful.
Working With Dad At The Bakery He Teaches Me How
To Work.
Although I dont remember the specific times, Im sure that I
learned from Dad about an honest days work for an honest days
pay. Im sure he taught me about being loyal to my employer. I
know he taught me how to clean pots and pans so that they were
suitable for making and baking the various bakery products the
next day.
Dad and His Workers Taught Us How to Make Bread
We were lucky kids to have a father who owned a bakery. Most
of us older boys had jobs at a young age; cutting the lawn in the front
of the bakery, sweeping the driveway, cleaning pots and pans, and,
as we grew older, actually doing some making and baking of bread,
pies and cookies. Cleaning pots and pans was done after school.

61

Most of our
work
actually
baking
happened
on Saturdays
because we
could come in
relatively early
and stay most
of the day.
I think
Dad gave us
the initial instructions in
making bread,
but I think it
was his other workers,
Clayton shows a granddauther a freshly baked loaf of bread.
Marv and Ernie
and others who made sure that we did it right. Making bread
was an interesting process. It all started with a large steel mixing
bowl that was pushed from place to place on a four-wheeled cart
that had been especially shaped to securely hold the mixing bowl.
The ingredients were poured into the mixing bowl, and mixed by
one of the Hobart mixers. When the mixing was done, and the
dough had been raised a couple of times, two bakers would lift
the dough out of the bowl and onto the cutting table. There the
dough would be cut and formed into loaves and placed in a strap
of five bread pans. After being proofed the baker would slide
the straps into the oven and after baking for the right amount of
time, would remove the straps, shake the bread loose (by hitting

the strap against the edge of the shelf), and bump the bread
onto the cooling racks. What an aroma all these loaves of bread
produced. Talk about heaven.
Dad Taught Us How to Get Along as a Kid in an Adults
World
Once, while working along side of Dad and another baker
who were talking together while making cookies, I jumped in
with some inane (Im sure) comment. Right at that moment Dad
stopped and said, David, when others are talking dont interrupt
unless spoken to. That memory and where we were in the bakery
has remained with me for more than 50 years. Maybe thats why
I can be involved in a three or more man conversation and feel
perfectly comfortable about not contributing anything while the
others converse.
By His Example, Dad Taught Us To Use The Right
Words At The Right Time.
For all the years of my life, Dad was a faithful reader of The
Readers Digest. In particular he enjoyed the It Pays to Increase
Your Word Power section of that magazine. We often talked
about words at home, and he used excellent English in all of his
reports and talks. He also taught us, again by example that one
doesnt need to swear to make a point. Although there were many
occasions when he could have easily let fly with a d--n or h---l. I
can barely remember three times that I heard Dad swear. Actually, he set a better example than our Mom, who occasionally said,
You damn kids, as she kicked us down the stairs.
Dad Taught Us That It Was All Right To Act Crazy When
The Occasion Allowed.

Dad must have hated boring parties or other occasions, because

he would often let out a big Yahoo or similar cheers when he felt
like putting some life into the party. His skits with Jocko the
Monkey and other characteristics were his attempt to put a little
extra oomph into a party. Although as kids we were somewhat
embarrassed by his whooping and hollering, its clear that whatever he did was appropriate for the occasion. He was well loved
for this personal characteristic.
Disciplining the Children.
When it came to punishment, Dad was not a strong believer
in the laying on of hands. But he was a firm believer in the laying
on of knuckles. We all received hits on the head with his knuckles not hard hits, but more like you would feel if someone was
knocking on your head rather than knocking at the door. I tried
using this form of getting the attention of our children when they
were young, but Janet quickly stopped that. She thought it was
child abuse, but we can assure you that Dads knuckles on our
heads did not even come close to child abuse.
I know I was spanked several times, but can only remember
one time. The one time I do specifically remember being spanked
was when Dad spanked me with a hair brush for setting the field
to the north of our house on fire. It was really Carlos fault we
were killing red ants by putting pioneer grass on their nests and
setting the grass on fire, but Carlos kept on setting fire to pioneer
grass outside of the safe circle of the ant hills. Another kid and
I would quickly stamp the outside fires out, but finally one got
away from us, and we had to call the fire department. Our parents knew that we were the ones that started the fire and when
one of the firemen came to our house Mom and Dad invited him
in, and Im sure he gave us a lecture about the dangers of starting
fires. Anyway, after the lecture Dad took a hair brush and gave
62

us several whacks on the behind. But truthfully, I dont think his

heart was in it, because it hardly hurt at all. But I made sure that I
cried a lot, so that the fireman would think that I was really being
punished.
Dads Favorite Story The Cat That Was Frozen to Death
Dad loved telling stories and one of his favorites was the story
of the cat he found frozen at the back door of the bakery. This is
about how he told it:
It was the winter of 1947 and as about as cold as I can remember. I had gone to the bakery early that morning to get things
started, but when I tried to open the big wooden door at the back
of the bakery, I couldnt get it to budge. When I looked down I
saw this cat, lying at the foot of the door that was keeping me from
opening it. Apparently the cat had felt some warm air coming from
the bottom of the door and had huddled there trying to get warm.
But the cold was too great, and the cat had frozen solid.

under the bread rack, ran into the display area and jumped over
one of the cases, ran again into the bread area, and around the
table and then headed straight for me. Just as it was about to hit
me, it turned in a circle two times and fell flat in a heap in front
of me.
At this point Dad would shake his head in sorrow or resignation
but wouldnt say another word, until someone would ask, Was it
dead? Then Dad would answer, No, ran out of gas. And
then he would laugh and laugh.
Now, to those of you who may want to tell this story yourself,
let me give you a few pointers: youve got to set it up correctly
and pick the right time to start the story. You just cant start by
saying, My Dad found this cat frozen . . . Youve got to wait
until someone starts talking about how cold it is, or how hot it is,
or starts talking about pets or cats or animals. You know what
I mean. But, assuming youve set up the story well and keep a
strictly neutral tone in your voice, this story knocks them dead every time. If you want you can change it a little by saying My Dad
told me about . . ., or even My Grandpa told us about the time .
. , that would be OK.

I really didnt know what to do, I didnt know if the cat was dead
or what, so I picked it up, opened the door, and carried it into the
bakery. Thinking I might be able to revive the cat with the warmth
from the ovens, I put the cat on the flat part of the oven door where
we rest trays before sliding them into the oven. Sure enough, after
several minutes I saw the end of the cats tail twitch. But the cat
didnt make another move. Still not knowing what to do, I thought
maybe something bitter or strong in the cats mouth might revive
her, and so I got a teaspoonful of the white gas that we keep in the
bakery and forced it into the cats mouth.

I never heard Dad tell the cat story that someone didnt ask
Was it dead? But its happened to me once or twice. So Ive
figured out what to do if the question is not asked. If no one
asks the question, and instead asks, Then what did you do? I
suggest you answer: He picked her up and put her in the garbage
can. Then surely someone will ask, Was it dead? When that
happens, you then can give the no, ran out of gas, answer. Youll
get laughs but just not as many as if the question had been asked
in the right place.

Sure enough, after just a few moments, the cats tail went straight
out, the fur on the back of her neck bristled, and, giving a high
pitched Yowl, it sprang from the oven door to the floor, sprinted
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(Oh, by the way, another version has Clayton discovering the

cat inside the freezer after taking the white covers off the display
cases in the store in the front. Choose the version that suits you
best.)
Dad Loved Graham Crackers and Milk
Especially when we were young, we would occasionally have
day-old bread and broken cookies and milk for dinner. I dont
think it was because we were poor. I think Dad liked eating bread
and milk. He also loved eating Graham crackers and milk. This is
a well-loved snack of most of Dads children. I love this treat!
Dad Taught Us How To Work With Our Hands.
Dad liked doing things with his own hands, and he enjoyed
teaching us how to build and do plumbing. One of the big jobs
he tackled was building a room for Carlos and me in the basement
under the dining room in the 1835 Laird Home. The problem was
the circular wall and the fact that Dad wanted the room to have
wood paneling on that wall. I think we finally nailed 15 20 two
by twos to the cement wall, and then soaked the paneling in water,
thus enabling us were to bend the paneling and nail it to the two
by twos. We loved that room.
The Dunford Family and Public Relations
Mom and Dad must have had a secret Public Relations consultant. I say this because right from their teenage years, Mom
or Dad or both have had their pictures in the paper or in Church
publications far more than might be expected from a similarly
placed family. Im thinking about Dads pictures as a basketball
star at LDS High School, Moms great pictures when she became
engaged (but where oh where are her Married Pictures?) Then

remember when our familys picture was in all those old Sunday
School manuals? There was another one in the Sunday School
Conference Program in 1968! Then theres the one of Mom Sewing, and Carolyns picture of Dad in his bakery hat; our familys
picture when we were in school, and Dad and Moms Mormon
Battalion pictures in the paper. I think we had more than our fair
share.

Gayles Memories
Dad was my earliest hero. I was the only girl among so many
boys and it was easy for Dad to call me, my only little girl. It
made me feel very special and I probably played that up because
my brothers would often tease me about being spoiled. But
after all, I was the only girl among five boys until Carolyn came
along eleven years later.
Ive always thought that I had a golden childhood with parents who loved me and cared for my every need. It is a pleasure
and an honor for me to write about some of my memories of Love
Clayton Dunford.
Dad was a handsome man, tall with medium brown wavy hair,
blue eyes and a fair complexion. His hands were soft, like dough
and always smelled good. Because he was a baker, he carried the
aroma from his days work. But it was never hot and sweaty for he
always smelled of chocolate chip cookies, sweet rolls or bread. I
remember very young of scampering to get on top of his foot so
that he could scoot us around as he walked in the door after a long
days work. Even though his day started early and he was very tired
when he returned, he always seemed happy to greet his children

64

and was ever ready for a kiss from Mom. I knew very early of his
love and devotion to Mom and his children. It was a great example for me and to help me recognize some of the qualities that
I would later look for in a husband.

the job, Dad popped me on the bottom to get my attention. I

believe that it was the only spanking that Dad ever gave me. I did
learn that being daddys little girl also meant something about
responsibility, consequences and follow through.

Polio Experience

Dad Always Made Me Feel Special

One of my earliest memories of Dad was when Carlos, David

and Doug had polio. The other three children Gayle, Robert and
Dan had to be sent to live with Aunt Marie Fox Felt. It was such
a difficult time for all of us and I felt a great responsibility to help
in the care of my younger brothers. It was a tearful good- bye,
but Aunt Marie was kind and helpful. Even though I didnt quite
understand the seriousness of the disease or why we had to leave,
Dad was there to help us get settled in our new surroundings. He
was always so tender and as he tried to explain that I would need
to help Aunt Marie with Robby and Danny, his eyes filled with
tears as we said our good byes and I somehow knew that everything would be alright. Dad was very tender and sensitive to the
needs of those around him.always going out of his way to think
of others and how he could be of help. Whether it was coming
home early (if he could) to be of help to Mom or shovel snow off
the walks of the neighbors, he would try to make himself available
if at all possible. It was not unusual for Dad to be seen washing
the dishes or vacuuming the floor. He was not afraid of being
seen helping inside the house as well as in the yard.

Even though I grew up a tom boy, which was hard to avoid

in the middle of so many brothers, Dad helped me to feel special
and feminine when he would buy an Easter bonnet for Mother
and me. When I was young, I would get a new one most every
yearand it was usually Dad who bought it. He must have been
careful to match my Easter dress that Mom would make because
I dont remember feeling out of place or that anything was inappropriate. I think he had good taste in most things except when it
came to matching paint when he would repair or fix up something
in the yard. I wondered why he would paint something brown or
green when everything else was a different color. It was sometime
later that I realized that because of the depression years, it was the
thing to do to use things up no matter what and not waste. He
was the one who taught me that it was better to squeeze the toothpaste from the bottom so that every last bit could be used.

Dad Teaches the Value of Work

Dad taught us all to work hard and to stay with the job until
it was completed. One time when I was helping to dry the dishes
(before dishwashers) I thought that I had done my share and started to play around. After several warnings to have me stick with

65

Dad Teaches Frugality, Honesty, and Hard Work

A penny saved is a penny earned was a common phrase
that I learned from my father probably because of the Depression when certain commodities were difficult to obtain. I remember Dad picking up a penny or other coins now and again
if found on the street or sidewalk. Others would walk by but he
would take the time to pick it up and with a smile put it in his
pocket. Of course if it were larger amount than a penny, nickel
or dime, especially paper dollars, he would make every effort to

find the owner of the money. Dad had the highest level of honesty and integrity, another quality for the man I wanted to marry.
Another example of Dad working hard was when he worked
out in the yard taking care of his vegetable garden and rose bushes.
He was always very particular about how to do things and how
they were supposed to look. He would bring in the first and last
rose of his garden and give to Mom. She was always so thrilled
at his thoughtfulness and would carefully put water in a vase or
cup and put it on her dresser in her bedroom. I knew very early
just how precious his roses were when I got a scolding for having thrown my oatmeal cereal out my bedroom window down on
Dads beautiful roses. It didnt help me to learn to like cereal, but
I did learn that Dads devotion to Mother was very evident in the
caring of his roses.
The Cabin
We had a cabin in Emigration Canyon that gave the children
lots of opportunities to learn about hard work. Dad and Mom
loved the cabin. It was quiet and away from the noise and rush
of the city. We would stand out on the front porch and practice
breathing deep clean fresh air. Much of the cabin they built by
themselves. It probably was one of my greatest examples of the
phrase, the family who works and plays together, stays together.
While Dad was busy sawing, painting and hammering, he also had
time for fun. It was not all work. He built us a mountain swing.
It wasnt just any old regular swing, but one that swung way out
over the mountain side. It really tickled your tummy and took
your breath away. Each year at the beginning of the summer, he
would be the first one to go on the swing to test its strength and
durability. He would holler and yell as he swung high over trees.
It was such fun, but then Dad was a master at making things fun.
He would also throw popsicles up to us in the second floor win-

dows when he would come home from work. He was pretty tolerant and patient of all of us as we would scamper around in the rafters and jump down on the beds or paint on the unfinished walls.
What a great place to create family memories. As we got older, we
were able to invite our friends up on various occasions. We even
stayed up there for most of the summer, not even coming down
for church. We attended church at the Burnetts where several
families gathered to have our Sunday services. Permission was
given for the sacrament to be blessed and partaken of. It will always be one of my favorite summer memories when I was young.
My Tenting Experience
Because I was the only girl among so many boys, it was natural for Mom and Dad to participate in more boy activities than in
girl activities. They were both very supportive of the Boy Scout
program. Dad was a scout master for many years. He loved it and
even became an Eagle Scout along with the boys. He was always a
great example of determination and excellence of a job well done.
The summer that I was able to go along on a scout trip will always
be a fond memory, probably more because of my age and the interest that I was starting to have in boys. Dad worked with the older
boys and of course I was very aware of all that was happening. It
was pretty unusual for there to be a girl in camp. While Mother
and the little boys stayed in a small trailer, Dad and the Junior Officers set me up a tent all of my own. I was excited to have the
independence and trust of my father, but also scared to death to be
alone in the dark of the forest. The Junior Officers set up an old
army field telephone where we could talk during the night.
Im not certain that I got much sleep, but the night that a bear
came into camp, I was surely grateful to have a phone to contact
someone. Needless to say, everything turned out alright. Dad and

66

the Junior Officers became instant heroes in my eyes.

Dads Appreciation for Nature
Dad had an appreciation of all things about nature. He taught
me about the beauty of color and the Lords goodness as he would
point out various examples such as a beautiful sunset, or a rainbow.
He loved animals and we had an opportunity to have various pets.
I remember a much loved and tolerated black dog named Patter.
I also remember him having a love of parakeets and teaching them
to climb from one finger to the other. We also had rabbits and a
kitten now and again. Later he had a dog called Missy that he
gave to Gloria, but I believe that it was as much for him as it was
for her. With each pet he taught about life and what we needed
to do to care for it. Always after the death of one of our pets,
examples were carefully shared as to the meaning of life and that
even pets will be resurrected and live with us eternally.
Dad and Moms Relationship
Its difficult to talk about Dad without including Mother because they truly were a team, working together to accomplish their
goals. We knew that when the door was closed, it was their time
and we shouldnt disturb them. They talked about everything
and they seemed to agree on most of their concerns, or at least
they discussed things until there was an agreement. Dad always
spoke tenderly with her and seldom raised his voice to any of his
children. I dont remember him having a temper or getting very
upset with any of us. Oh maybe he would get cross with one of
the boys when there was an infraction to one of the rules, but for
the most part he was very controlled and disciplined in all of his
behaviors.
Dad was Moms knight in shining armor, and she let me
67

know that many times. She would say to meif you will marry
a man half as good as your Dad, youll always be very happy. It
was clear that they adored each other and were not ashamed to
let us know by their actions. The leaving of notes for each other
was common. Mom would put notes in Dads lunches and Dad
would leave notes around the house for her to find during the day.
Because Dad left for work so early in the morning, they would
both leave notes written in soap on the bathroom mirror. They
always confirmed their love for each other and their gratitude for
their lives shared.
Music and Education
Dad was very musical and he loved to sing and play the piano
which he did so beautifully. When I was young, he took lessons at
the McCune School of Music. He practiced a lot and sometimes
while he was playing he would coax me into singing with him. I
loved it and took it as a compliment that he thought that I was
good enough to sing along with him as I would try to harmonize.
Some of the pieces that I remember as being his favorites were;
The Holy City, Oh Danny Boy, Clair de Lune and many church
hymns, especially Master the Tempest is Raging because he could
pound on the piano keys with great emotion and it sounded so
great.
Education was important to Dad. You could always find a
Readers Digest lying around where he had been reading and studying The Glossary of Words. He tried to learn new words and their
meaning each week. He would write them down several times,
write out the meaning and then use the new word in a conversation. I was always amazed with the knowledge that he possessed.
It seemed that Dad was always reading. He read the Sunday funnies to me. I loved that time because I could sit on his lap in his

special chair and have his complete attention. Dad even attended
the University of Utah with some of us. I was fortunate to take
an astronomy class with him. He became fascinated with constellations and would call me to come outside to see one that he had
found. It was during this time that he was also trying to create a
new fruit cake for the Christmas season. The fruit cake became
known as Andromeda after the constellation. He named it such
because of its beauty and high quality of the fruit that was used in
the baking. I was so proud of him and his ability to be creative
in every thing that he did. This was also around the time that I
was getting married and he made grooms cake from this same
recipe and put them
in little white boxes
for the guests at our
reception. My wedding cake was something to behold. At
that time, it wasnt
common to put fresh
flowers on a cake.
but he did. In between each layer, he
carefully put several
dozen red roses with
a beautiful bouquet at
the top. He didnt ask
me what I wanted the
cake to look like and
preferred to keep it a
surprise. It was truly
the most gorgeous
Clayton skillfully finishes a cake for one
of his childrens weddings, 1968
cake that I had ever

seen. He pre-made lots of royal icing lattice garlands with edges

that stood up and away from the cake sides. It was a masterpiece
to be sure, and made by the master baker of Dunford Bakeries, my
Dad. I was so thrilled with it. And of course, he put a tiny set of
booties by the side of the top bouquet. This was his signature on
many of the cakes that he decorated.
Dad was always very interested in increasing other talents. He
registered in night classes at the BYU Extension Division. He
enjoyed taking classes in Spanish, and various art classes. I was
particularly happy to have him join one of my tole painting classes.
It was fun to teach him a new kind of art. He seemed to enjoy
it and I was proud to be able to teach him something that I had
learned.
He Loved the Lord
The example that Dad showed in the way that he lived was one
to be emulated. He loved the Lord and all of the gospel teachings.
He honored his priesthood and practiced its teachings and blessings, not only in his callings in the church by also in the leadership
of our home. I was fortunate to have many fathers blessings at
various times. Particular tender ones were when I had surgery
for a ruptured appendicitis, or when I went off to school at BYU
and then on the eve of my wedding. I will always remember the
humble gratitude that I had in being able to call on my father to
give me the guidance and comfort that I needed to make decisions
in my life. It was through his example that I knew very early the
most important quality that I wanted in a future husband, was one
who loved the Lord and was willing to sacrifice and do all that was
required of him.
Dads fasting and faith in prayer when Mother was so ill, will

68

always be a reminder to me of the witness and testimony that he

had in the Lords will and of the obedience that I must have always. He was not only a good man; he was a great man, a piece
maker and an exemplar of all that was righteous. How grateful I
am for his life and for the promise of eternal families.
An entry of Dads journal dated in 1944 he wrote, Mother
and I pray every night for guidance, patience, discernment, wisdom and understanding in guiding our children to maturity to be
a credit to their Heavenly Father and to us; fine useful citizens,
loved and respected by all. Truly, he was a great man and he was
my Dad.

Douglas Memories
At age 10, we moved into our new home at 1835 Laird Ave.
Dad installed a sprinkling system for the yard, cutting and threading galvanized in. pipe. He asked for my help. He taught me
how to do it. It was hard work but my confidence in myself grew
as I learned how to work alongside my father. We also installed
a drinking fountain in the back yard by the porch. We made it
out of a section of baked clay irrigation pipe with the water valve
running up thru the center. We added 1 rocks inside to act as a
drain.
Dad did most all the remodeling and improvements to our
home himself. Mom also helped a lot. We painted, stripped wall
paper, planted grass, and built shelves. Dad had an old workbench
in the garage and a new table saw with drill press, joiner, etc. in the
furnace room. The power tools were always from Sears (Craftsman).
69

For Christmas one year, Santa brought me a chemical set. It

was full of test tubes, glass beakers, and lots of different chemicals. Dad let me set up a table in the furnace room right next to
the freezer. He even installed a gas pipe to fuel a Bunsen burner
to run experiments. One day I boiled sulfur and water together.
It took three days to air out the house. I cooked ants. They dont
smell that great either.
There are times when I think I didnt have much inter-action with Dad. I never saw him at breakfast as he went to work
at the bakery early in the morning and returned late in the day.
My recollection is that Mom did most of the disciplining in our
home. Mom, however, was very supportive of Dad. She never
said anything contrary to his wishes. I dont remember Dad ever
getting furiously angry. Maybe he did but I never saw it.
Dad was interested in education. He went back to college
to take astronomy, biology, and other classes. Just for his own
enlightenment. I was impressed he would go to school for his
own education. It changed my view of having to go to school.
Dad was also the Bishop of the Yalecrest II Ward. He was a
Bishop of love. His eyes spoke his love. His hands were warm
and comfortable. He listened to widows and single women cry
their eyes out. He loved children. He was interested in the members. He was devoted to his calling. But I remember feeling jealous for his attention. On one occasion, during a family gathering,
someone called him at home and wanted to meet with him right
then. He politely excused himself from the party and left. I felt
angry that he was spending more time with the Ward members
than his own family. I did not understand the nature of his being
a Bishop. How he was able to take care of both his families Ill
never know. He was amazing.

Dad painted stick figures of the family on the large bay window in the front room. I think it was Christmas. Each child was
shown doing something. I was playing the trumpet. Dad was not
shy about showing off his family. He was proud of us.
Dad was a very talented baker. He knew quality. When he
would introduce a new product, he looked first at quality, then
cost. Often he would bring new items home for the family to
sample. I think we were his toughest customers, but he liked an
honest opinion. For a long time, I never knew real cookies were
flat and round. I thought they were always crumbly and broken
because that is what he gathered each weekend to bring home to
the kids. What a great treat. And I always thought cakes were
supposed to be damaged on one side because thats what we had.
I can still remember the smell of the bakery on his clothes when
he came home from work. He was respected by other bakers. Often he would receive a call from another bakery saying they were
having problems with this or that product and what should they
do? He would offer his suggestion freely with no expectation of
getting something in return. He was honest. He always paid for
items not produced by the company such as milk, ice cream, soda
pop, etc. Dad was a very talented decorator. His wedding cakes
were rated among the best. He could make a rose look so real that
you could smell its fragrance. He made wedding cakes for most of
the kids at their marriages. Each was daring and different. For my
wedding he made a gorgeous cake composed of smaller, individually iced cakes, three tiers high, and topped with the traditional
bride and groom. We served the individual cakes to each of our
guests. It was so neat.
I dont ever remember getting spanked by Mom or Dad. Dad
would however, reach across the diner table and give you a good
thump on the head with his middle knuckle if it was deserved. It

was always deserved.

He always wanted to have a Jeep. But I suppose because of
more pressing and practical needs of his large family, he postponed that desire.
Dad loved to grow stuff in the garden. He was good at it. In
fact. I remember on one occasion inviting him over to my first
purchased home and proudly displaying my own beautiful tomato
garden. The plants were over 6 feet high. I watered them thoroughly every day. The leaves were larger than dinner plates. He
would be so proud of me. But there was just one problem. Not
one tomato had appeared on any of the plants. He stood there for
the longest time and I got the impression he was trying hard to
stifle a laugh. Interesting is what I think he finally said. It was
later that I learned about not over-watering tomato plants.
He blessed me with his Priesthood. I was ordained in all the
Aaronic Priesthood offices by my father. I feel that his and Moms
faith healed me and my brothers of our affliction with Polio. He
liked to kneel at family prayers. At Sunday dinners we knelt by
our chairs while he talked with the Lord. Even when we had important invited guests for dinner, we knelt in prayer. What a great
example.

Roberts Memories
Im grateful for this opportunity to write some personal memories of my father, L. Clayton Dunford. I love that man. He was not
perfect, but as much or more than any other man I have known,
Dad was true to his principles. He had high expectations and disciplined with disappointment more than by physical punishment
70

by the time I came along. He was not tolerant of excuses, but was
tolerant when we were learning. He taught the value of work, but
also knew how to play. Dad provided us with many opportunities, enjoyed creative traditions, provided us a good living, and left
a good name that I will value always. Let me elaborate somewhat
on these points in the following paragraphs.

of the older children, he didnt attend any of my football games or

other activities, but Im not sure he could have, as he worked long
hours. I never resented this, or even thought about it until years
later. Come to think of it, I think he did amazingly well as a father,
having had little example or memory of a father in his home to
guide him in his own role as a father.

True to His Principles

Dad ordained me to each of the offices of the Aaronic and

Melchizedek Priesthoods, except that of high priest. What a marvelous privilege to have had a father who was worthy and faithful
enough to do this!

Dad was a fun-loving man, true to the gospel and to his principles. When I wanted to purchase a motorcycle on a Sunday, for
example, he had me wait until Monday to execute my purchase
because, we dont do business on Sunday. Even when we kids
wanted popsicles from the freezer at the bakery, Dad would put
the value of the popsicles taken, in the cash register. I never, ever
heard him tell a lie and heard him swear only once, as he booted one of my brothers down the stairs for his insolence. It was
probably largely because of Dads example that I resolved never to
swear.

A 1980s management training movie, You Are What You Were

When, had as its premise the thought that ones situation during
key points in his or her teenage years have a disproportionately
large effect on his or her life during the remaining years. If this is
true, and I believe it is, there were several lessons and influences in
my life that affected me, unknowingly at the time, for the rest of
my life. An example of this is in Dads method of discipline.

High Expectations

Discipline of Disappointment

Dad was a tolerant father who nevertheless had high expectations of his children. Although he was truly the head of the home,
he usually led in kindness and in consultation with Mom. Dad was
not particularly demonstrative in expressing love to his children,
but we knew that he loved us. There was a clear delineation of
responsibility and roles between Mom and Dad. She truly was the
nurturer and he truly was the provider and protector.

Let me first explain that, although they would have protected

me from the sins of the world, neither prayer nor scripture study
was a part of my daily routine at about age fifteen when I fell in
with some boys who were older and rougher than my usual set of
friends. Had prayer and scripture study been a practice, I likely
would have been able to withstand the temptations they presented
or, better still, I likely would not have been attracted to their company in the first place.

I have the sense that, although there may have been some difficulties between Dad and the older children, if there were problems in his methods of parenting, by the time I came along they
were largely resolved or at least greatly improved. As with most
71

One of those temptations culminated in my arrest for speeding with them and driving without a license. After my arrest, I did
begin praying, but mistakenly - that the court summons would

somehow become lost and that my mistake would never come to

the attention of my parents.

Your Honor. I know that what I did was wrong and I am prepared
to pay for it.

I thought it might be working until Dad looked over at me

while working at the bakery one Saturday morning and said he had
received a letter and we needed to talk. My heart sank. I knew
what the topic was.

Although it wasnt part of any plan or strategy, I believe that

my not making excuses or blaming my actions on temptations
from my peers, led the judge to give me a reduced fine of only $25
and no restriction in obtaining my license when I came of age.
Others I knew had suffered much more serious consequences for
a similar offense. Dads example of not making excuses has been
a great benefit to me throughout my life. Dads refusal to make an
excuse for me before the judge in traffic court has led me to try to
avoid making excuses to others. I also learned to be more gracious
in accepting favors after receiving a kind rebuke from Dad when
I declined to accept a mess of fish a co-worker, Henry Matsuno,
had offered me at the bakery. Dad showed me how I was ruining
Henrys gift by not accepting it.

When we got home that day, he told me that he was surprised

and disappointed in me, not only for the infraction of the law, but
especially for not telling him about it. Dads disappointment was
excruciating to me. It was as if he was unknowingly twisting a
knife in my stomach. He could not have said or done anything
that would have had a deeper effect on me at the time. I had failed
him and it caused me great sorrow. I would have much preferred
a good whipping. I resolved never to disappoint him like that
again.
No Excuses
Besides realizing the need to always be straightforward with
Dad, I learned another important lesson, never to give excuses,
when Dad and I went to traffic court for the above infraction to
appear before the judge. When the judge asked Dad, after reading
the charges, what he had to say for his errant son. Dad responded,
Nothing, Your Honor. He knows that what he did was wrong
and hes prepared to take the consequences.
I was devastated! I thought, How could Dad sell me down
the river like this? Why wasnt he sticking up for me, I wondered,
and trying to protect me from the consequences of my actions?
Taking the cue from Dad, when the judge turned to me and
asked me what I had to say for myself, I responded, Nothing,

Virtually every evening I left with my friends or to go on a

date, I left with the words of Mom or Dad, Remember who you
are, following me. I was reminded later that the entire phrase I
should have remembered was, Remember who you are and act
accordingly.
Tolerant When Learning
Both Mom and Dad were very tolerant of the results of our desires to learn and experiment. For example, the pieces of an Erector Set were used to make an automatic door-opener that opened
and closed my bedroom door at the touch of a button at either the
door or at my bed. How I ever got permission to drill holes in the
wall behind the door and run wires through the wall, Ill never
know. (Perhaps permission wasnt requested, but if not granted,
I never heard about it.) Even when we were small children, their

72

tolerance extended to such things as letting us run water down

the back yard garden and allowing the building of culverts and
tunnels with tin cans with the ends cut out for the water to pass
through.

one capacity or another. It was a great blessing that prepared us

for the real world.

The Value of Work

Dad believed in giving us opportunities at an early age. For

example, when I was in the eighth grade (age 14 or so), he suggested I buy a stereo hi-fidelity sound system and put it together.
Dad gave me $50 to start and helped me choose the equipment.
I paid the $350 balance (a lot of money in those days, at least to
me) of the cost of the component system, over time. It gave me a
good experience in making and fulfilling obligations and gave me
a good credit rating at a young age

Dad and Mom, through precept and example, taught the importance of being responsible and of the value of hard work. Each
of the children had chores to do around the home. Whether it
was mowing the lawn, doing the dishes, sweeping the patio, vacuuming and dusting the living room and dining room (under the
chairs, on the rungs, and under the table, not just on top), we were
expected to work as part of the privilege of being a member of the
family. We may have received a smallallowance, but if so, it must
have not been for long.
Dad taught us how to drive a straight nail and had us learn to
help in carpentry and other tasks around the home, such as finishing the basement bedroom at the Laird Avenue home.. Rather than throw bent nails away, he would often take the time to
straighten and re-use them. I still do this todayat least for the
better ones.
The expectation the anticipation, reallyof being able to
work led to my inheriting the coveted position of janitor boy at my
elementary school in the fifth grade from Doug. He had earned a
fancy black and chrome Schwinn bike from his labors there. After
graduating to junior high school, I was allowed to work washing
pots and pans after school at the Dunford Bakery on 7th South.
Upon entering high school, I was allowed to work as a baker during my first two years of high school. Virtually all of my siblings
and I were given the privilege of learning to work at the bakery in

73

Providing Opportunities

Although Dad usually trained a new baker by assigning one or

more of the other bakers to show him the ropes, he tried personally to train me in working with bread dough. He was very patient with my awkwardness in learning how to cut and then form
bread dough by hand, first into balls and then into loaves. After
what seemed an eternity to me, I finally caught on.
Although I became a pretty good baker (certainly in my own
eyes), I desired to break out of the bakers son mold and during
my junior year of high school I applied for position at the House
of Music, a stereo/high-fidelity sound store catering to the carriage trade. My application was placed on a large stack of what
seemed like two or three hundred other applications and I was
told that it was unlikely that I would ever obtain a position at the
company. However, applying my fathers advice that he never
hired anybody who only called once, I visited the store virtually
every week over the next three months to show my interest. Soon,
I was invited to come and work for the House of Music and stayed
with them for several years. I owe getting that first outside job

to Dads advice on persistence.

Creative Traditions
Holidays, especially Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas,
were always fun and creative. Dad sometimes built a bonfire in
the park next door for Halloween trick-or-treaters and served hotdogs and hot cider to the trick-or-treaters.
Thanksgiving was always a wonderful affair, often with relatives gathered, even though the day before was probably the biggest day of the year for Dad at the bakery. Moms turkeys were
always delicious and succulent and Dad always did the carving
honors.
For Christmas, Dad would often make some creative gift for
the neighbors, such as painted fiber barrels with their names stenciled on or cookies for the garbage men. On Christmas Eve, we
would gather in the living room and Dad would read the Christmas Story from Luke.
On Christmas morning, Santa was king. We would try to
awaken Dad and Mom as early as possible on Christmas morning. Dad would fake trying to sleep and demand that all be in the
bedroom dressed and ready to go before hed go downstairs to get
everything ready. While trying to wait patiently for him to finish
building the fire and other preparations so we could go in and see
our presents, we could hear Dad exclaim, Oh, Robby! Look what
you got! and Danny! You wont believe what you got!-- all to
whip us up into a frenzy of excitement. He always succeeded.
When his preparations were complete, we lined up on the stairs
or in the hallway outside of the living room, in order, youngest to
oldest, then burst into the living room to see what magic had been

left. We still do this in our family today. Gifts were opened one
gift at a time so all could see and appreciate what had been given
and received. Mom often had a lovely Christmas dinner cooked
and on the table for lunch.
Often we went sledding on Christmas afternoon with our
cousins, Uncle Steves and Uncle Burns kids, on the snow-packed
road coming down from the cabin in Emigration Canyon. We
would tie our sleds to the rear of a car and Dad would tow us up to
Pinecrest, then we would sled what seemed to me a mile or more
nearly to the Star garage, there to be towed again up to Pinecrest.
What great fun!
The front lawn of our home on 14th East grew dandelions
profusely. We would pick them and Dad made dandelion root
beer out of them. Dad would cut our hair in the kitchen and
sometimes outside on the porch. I remember how good it felt to
have him run his fingers through my hair as he cut it. Dad had
the front porch made into a study and I would often go in and visit
him. I was particularly interested in the pretty blue flash bulbs he
used in taking pictures, and how they turned gray and motley after
firing.
One of Dads many notable skills was the ability to decorate
beautiful cakes, especially wedding cakes. He had a tradition of
putting a little pair of baby booties made of icing under the wedding ornament on top, as a good luck wish for the newly-married
couple. Several of my children have asked me to decorate their
wedding cakes, and, much to their pleasure, I have continued
Dads tradition of the baby booties hidden under each cakess ornament.

74

Provided a Good Living

As far as
I know, we
never wanted
for anything.
Dad provided
a good living
for us. Although there
may
have
been financial strains
every once in
a while, they
were never
expressed
in front of
the children,
that I know
of. We were
oblivious to
any monetary
d i f f ic u lt ie s
there
may
Clayton at work on a sons wedding cake, 1968
have been in
raising nine children and sending six on missions, which I believe
was an advantage and a blessing to not have weighing on a young
childs mind. I dont believe Dad or Mom relied much on debt- to the contrary, I sense they abhorred it. The only difficulty I
become aware of later in life were the challenges associated with
the failure of the Study Guild business, when Dad went to work at
Hi-Land Dairy and then returned to work on the bench as a com75

mon employee in the very enterprise he founded. I have thought

many times, what an outstanding example of humility and greatness that was!
Remember Who You Are
Dads (and Moms) periodic admonition, Remember Who
You Are, must have sunk in somehow, for I remember being
downtown, near State Street with my friend and cousin, Randy,
who was using my last name loudly and disrespectfully. I asked
him to be careful and to quiet down.
He asked, Why? were miles from home. Nobody knows us
here. Just because, I responded, not knowing how to explain
the sensitivity I felt.
He was still laughing under his breath as we walked into a
nearby tire store to cash one of my payroll checks from the bakery, a common practice of retailers in those days. Randys laughter turned to incredulity, however, as he heard the store manager
ask me, as he looked at the check, Dunford, eh? Whose son are
youStevens, Claytons or Burns? The name, Dunford, seemed
to be known and to have some cachet nearly everywhere. Consciously or not, I believe my brothers and sisters and I tried not
to abuse the privilege of carrying this name but rather to bring
honor to it.
On another occasion, when I was about sixteen or seventeen,
I went to a bank in the Foothills Shopping Center to investigate
getting a loan for a car. I found I didnt have a large enough down
payment to meet the minimum requirement to obtain the loan.
The loan officer thought for a moment and then asked,
Who is your father?

Clayton Dunford, I responded.

He granted the loan on the spot, with no further questions,
not even a credit check.

Daniels Memories
In my younger years:

It seemed like Dad was always working. When it came to

outings, other boys had their fathers with them for the whole
time, like on Fathers and Sons outings. It seemed like we always went up later.

There were some fishing and Boy Scout camp trips.

Dad was an outdoorsman. He liked to hunt and fish, but I

think he liked to fish more than hunt, at least it seems that way
to me. I remember two outboard motors. One was an old
rope puller. The other was a Johnson outboard motor that was
a great motor for trolling, 4 or 5 horsepower. Our fishing trips
usually included trolling at Strawberry Lake.

Dad was a scout leader, forever, it seems. He liked to get out

and be with the boys.

I believe he made the effort to support each of his children,

though the demands of work and church made it difficult.

Dad supported me on a Little League baseball team in fact he

sponsored our team. I was a left handed pitcher, first baseman, or outfielder. I was not a star, but I got a couple of hits,
made a few outs. Dad came, when he could.

Dad supported me in music, and he bought my first instrument, a flute, I still have and sometimes play 50 years later.

When young I had a silver and red fire engine pedal truck,
Dad or Mom must have bought that for me. I also had a 3
speed, red and white Schwinn bicycle. (It was before 10 speeds
came out, I am sure).

I remember Dad playing the piano, my mother also. They

both loved music.

I remember Dad coming home from a hard days work, dressed

in his bakery whites and often just taking a nap in the car,
wondering when he would come in.

He smelled of the bakery, I used to pull off his shoes as he

rested.whew sweet but .whew!

He enjoyed gardening, it gave him solace. He liked working

with tools, something all of us boys learned to appreciate.

Dad used to get really mad (at least very upset) when he knew
he had a tool but it was not available when he wanted to use
it. Someone borrowed it without returning. It made him mad
enough that it made an impression on me I would lock up
my tools in a tool box. I would have my tools when I wanted
them. But didnt we all learn about tools because they were
left open to work on our stuff, bikes and cars? I believe so.

Dad expected us to go to Church. He went to all of his meetings and we went with him when we were supposed to go.
However we were never physically forced to go.

I seem to remember Mom and Dad always carrying two little

76

bags and going somewhere at night together, oh yes, Mom and

Dad were temple goers, always.

When I was a kid, I did kid things. We had lots of doors in

our house. When I did not get what I wanted, I stomped out
of the kitchen (usually) and slammed all the doors, stomped
downstairs and slammed that bedroom door.
I have the dubious honor of having slammed too many doors
and being the only son (for I never saw it happen to anyone
else) of feeling my Dads foot and being sent rather helter-skelter to the bottom of the stairs!

I believe my Dads words went something like this, (oh yes

and it was the only time I ever heard him swear!) Thats the
last time that dm kid is going to slam a doorI went sailing
(down the stairs) and never slammed a door again. Lesson
learned? I think so.

For other breaches of rules that required consequences, I received a spanking, administered by Dad handled when he
came home! Books in the pants for so called protection, can
turn into stinging implements.

I dont believe Dad ever hugged me much. I am sure he did

when I was very very young but I dont remember. I probably
was not too huggablebut I knew I was loved.

All of us were taught by our Mother, if you can be only half

the man your father is you will be fine or okay or something
like that. I never took that admonishment as something Mom
intended to denigrate me or us, rather she used to say that to
have us always look up to our father.

77

Another saying in my dating years was that Mom felt Dad

could be trusted and had such restraint, respect and will power
that even if he were to be confronted with a room full of naked women, she would not worry.

Dad honored the Priesthood he held, always.

Dad was talented, an artist, painter. A builder of families and

people, a man of industry. I think of my father as a Captain
Moroni though I never told him that.

Dad was not perfect, he never said he was.

I was supported on my mission to Mexico by the family meaning my parents financially and spiritually. In one area on one
occasion, I was having a rough time. I finally wrote my father,
and asked him if I could come home from my mission. But I
put some conditions to the response. When I asked him, I told
him to respond with a yes or a no only one word. (Was I
testing him too as I asked him to respond with just one word?)
Well, he answered me with one word, yeson the first page
and then I read a 4 page PS after that.

In my own mind and heart Dad was all that Mother taught and
told us (me) he was. He was a great man of the Lord, servant to
all he could. I never heard him talk disparagingly to or about any
person or race of people.
He died serving the God and the Lord he loved, in the temple.
I wish he could have known my family. I miss him.

Carolyns Memories
Dad was a loving, kind man and a wonderful father to me. My
memories are many and varied but I think that for the purposes of
this book, it would be best for me to just list a few of them briefly
here. I remember fun times with Dad....
o Going to the movies as a family always at the inexpensive places like the Avalon, the Arcade, and the Rialto. Then afterwards, getting out of the car in our driveway and looking up at
the constellations and having Dad tell me all about them.
o Sleigh-riding down the canyons as our sleds were tied to
the back of his car and having so much snow and slush being
sloshed by the tires up onto our faces that all you could see of our
faces were two holes for eyes and a hole where our noses supposedly had been!
o Swinging in the huge swing over the mountainside at the
cabin.
o Being embarrassed to pieces by him with all of his enthusiastic hollering at the Family Reunions as he was dressed up in his
Mormon Battalion uniform to act out some skit or puppet show.
Later, these memories endeared him to me but at the time, I just
ducked my head in embarrassment!
o Remembering his romantic ways, even with his daughters
at Valentines Day when he would ring the front doorbell and then
run away, leaving us with a necklace or whatever. One year, our
gift was a can of tuna fish! Im sure in his mind it was the thought
that mattered!
o Being embarrassed again as he gave sermons from the pul-

pit when he was Bishop because he used such big words (that
he had been studying in his Thirty Days to a More Powerful Vocabulary
book, and having all of my girlfriends say to me What was that
he just said? I also remember him sharing a Christmas story with
the congregation in the middle of July! I thought that was cool of
him!
o Listening to him play hymns on the piano after church or
especially listening to him play with great vigor The Holy City,
and then singing loudly the chorus...Je-ru-sa-lem, Je-ru-sa-lem!.
o Watching him read the newspaper after a long day at work,
while sitting in his special chair in the living room. I would be
practicing the piano and then he would put down his paper and listen to me and say with a smile, Oh would you play that again?
o Sunday excursions to the bakery where each of us kids
could pick one thing to eat from the big freezer.
o Asking him to decorate my wedding cake and having him
say to me, Thats like me asking you to play a sonata in front of
everyone when you hadnt played for 3 years! But he did do my
cake and it was beautiful. It even had a real running fountain on
the middle layer!
o Family vacations to Disneyland and Yellowstone. Sleeping
in tent-trailers with the Paxtons somewhere. I dont remember
where we were but I remember we had a lot of fun!
o Going with Dad and Mom down to Mexico to pick up
Dan after his mission. Watching Dad trying to speak Spanish
with everyone as he had been trying to learn it. Also, seeing him
actually pay for a chauffeur in Mexico City because he was a nervous wreck after a short time trying to survive amid the native
78

drivers there!

and thinking he looked like Johnny Weismiller (Tarzan) to me.

o Watching him patronize every small business especially

buying goodies from the little bakeries wherever we went. He
loved the little guy and always tried to help.o

o Never hearing him swear or talk roughly to anyone. I

never remember him spanking anyone - except once, and that
was my fault. He asked everyone one night, who had eaten the
chocolates that were on top of the refrigerator. Everyone said no
including me, when really I was the guilty culprit. But not only
did I tell him no, I told him that Gloria had been the one to eat
them! So Daddy sat down on the piano bench and put innocent
little Gloria across his lap, and spanked her good and hard. And
while she wailed in innocence, I huddled behind the couch and
watched! How horrible of me! But I remember it to this day! Im
sorry, Gloria!

o Having him invite people of other nationalities and races

to our Sunday dinners. We had several different cultures represented at our dinner table often.
o Christmas morning celebrations with themes. For instance, one Christmas all of us received a pet so it was the Pet
Christmas. One Christmas, all of us received Magic Gifts. One
Christmas all of us received Instruments, etc. Now mind you, the
instruments were kazoos and harmonicas, etc. and the pets were
little, too like little turtles, fish, etc., not huge dogs or things.
But still it was a bit crazy and I dont know exactly how Mom put
up with these ideas that Im sure must have been his!
o Feeling very important when he took me to my DaddyDaughter Date for Primary. He brought me a corsage to wear
on my dress and I remember how beautifully he danced and how
wonderfully he held me and led me around the floor, twirling me
around and around. He told me to look in his eyes and not at my
feet and let him do the work, and surely he did. I felt like a princess!
o Being sick in bed and having him come home from work
and sit on the bed beside me and place his cool, large, and soft
hands on my fevered forehead. How good they felt!
o Blessings when I needed a special fathers blessing.
o Swimming at the Fort Douglas Country Club with him

79

o Seeing his great sadness when Mom passed away. But also
daily hearing his thanks and praise for the efforts of Gloria and
I as we tried to cook dinner for him. He let us buy anything at
the grocery store we wanted so we tried all kinds of recipes and
some of them were pretty horrible! But he never complained, only
complimented and encouraged us.
o Meeting Dad in Italy when he and I were on separate European trips with Study Guild International. It was just brief but
I remember how fun it was to see him there! I never would have
had the chance to go to Europe if it had not been for his generosity to me in paying for me to go.
o Being parked in the driveway in Rons car one night after
a date and it being very late 3:00 AM to be exact and watching
my Dad return from a date with Grace at just about the same
time! I remember he went into the house and just as Ron was getting ready to kiss me his first kiss, Dad flickered the front porch
lights on and off and completely broke the spell! Alas and Alack!

But what a gentle reminder it was and done in such a respectful

way.
o I also remember when after just one month of dating Ron,
I phoned Dad to tell him that Ron and I had gone shopping for
wedding rings that day. Instead of being all upset, he just said with
a chuckle and a gentle romantic sigh in his voice, Ohhh. You
see, he was in love too, at the very same time with a lovely Grace
Higgs, soon to be his new bride.

Glorias Memories
A few hours of solitude are rare in a womans life these days, so
I wanted to take this opportunity to express my thoughts of Dad
before the years cloud my memories. I also wanted to record these
remembrances, not only to organize my own mind, but especially
to let my children know a little about their Grandpa Dunford.
Dad was born in Logan, Utah, and when I later attended Utah
State University, it was always a happy thought to think that this
was where my dads roots were that this particular corner where
now stands the LDS Institute was my fathers first home. I cannot
tell of much of his early life but I do recall his telling me how much
he loved and respected his parents. Although his father, Carlos Leroy Dunford, had passed away when Dad was eight, Dad, I think,
acted as though his Father was watching him from heaven. I think
Dad wanted to be a teacher like his own father.
The next thing I remember about Dad and his growing up
years was the courtship he had with Mom. They both went to LDS
High School (The Saints mascot) and got to know each other on
a just friends basis. I think Dad was a very honorable man and

treated Mom with a lot of respect while they were dating and after
their marriage. This respect influence his own parenting because I
remember Dad telling me to Remember who you are whenever
I would go out on a date. The rest of his personal life can be read
in his own autobiography which is very interesting. I would now
like to write of my dad and of my memories of him.
My Childhood Interaction with Dad
As a child I remember how much I loved to be tossed in the
air or held up by Dads feet as he would play airplane with me.
It was pretty special when Dad came home from work too. Running to greet Dad was a happy event. Hed pick me up and rub
his scratchy beard on my cheeks along with a big bear hug. He
smelled so good like vanilla and he had flour in his hair and on
his big black shoes. He also had big smooth hands with large veins
on them. I used to like to play with the worms, as he called him
while Id sit next to him during church. Dad helped to get me
started in school and came to my spring programs at Bonneville
Elementary School. One year while I was in the 4th or 5th grade
Dad got a family membership to Fort Douglas and wed go swimming. He was really a good swimmer. He kind of reminded me of
Johnny Weissmuller (Tarzan) and when Id tell him that he seemed
pleased. Hed play Marco Polo in the water with us and give us
pointers with swimming techniques. It sometimes embarrassed
me to see how white his skin was next to his mustard colored
swimming trunks and his short sleeve line on his arm, but then
not many fathers were playing with their kids like Dad was with
us. He even took us night swimming with him a few times.
Another special memory with Dad was my first Daddy
Daughter Date. Mom made me this pretty cranberry wool jumper
for the occasion. On that night, a single red rose was delivered to

80

my front door from the florist. What a happy memory to know

that my first flowers came from my father. Then we left for Yalecrest Ward. He helped me take my coat off and really treated my like
a lady. It was neat to dance with Dad because he was so smooth
and knew exactly what he wanted to do. I wasnt so well equipped
with the fox trot and waltz, but he was so handsome, whod notice
a young girls dance mistakes next to him?
Dad Loved the Outdoors
Dad was quite an outdoorsman when he could get away from
work at the bakery. He was active with the scouting program but
I first began to understand his love of Gods creations when we
would all pack up the light blue station wagon and head up Emigration Canyon to our cabin. I think he really loved it up there.
Dad worked a lot on improving the cabin site building trails and
clearing trees and building a swing between two trees that would
sail over the mountains. If Dad could sit in that swing without
breaking it, then you knew it was safe enough for the rest of us.
While hed swing out over the mountain, hed yell this crazy sound
that would echo and echo. He really had a voice that could carry!
One summer, the family all got together and really worked on
the cabin itself painting, antiquing furniture, making curtains.
Dad put up paneling and a ceiling upstairs where we used to jump
down on the beds below from the rafters. As I became more familiar with the cabin responsibilities, Dad and Mom let me have
a few parties up there. One party in particular stands out with
Dad as the hero. I had invited some girlfriends from East High
to spend the night at the cabin. About 12:00 midnight, as we were
talking around the fireplace a couple of guys in overalls and nylons on their faces tried to get in. I was so spooked and so were the
rest of the girls that we quickly checked to see if everything was
locked, had a prayer and called my Dad to come quick. True to his
81

colors he came from our home in Salt Lake and spent the night. I
was so relieved. Later that night the guys came back. Dad shone
his flashlight and yelled in this horrendous voice, Who are you
guys? Get the heck out of here! Boy, you should have seen them
tearing down that hill. My hero, my dad! We slept pretty soundly
after that.
His Love for the Gospel
Sometime when I was in Junior High, Dad was made the first
bishop of the new Yalecrest II Ward. I didnt know what all that entailed except I was now a bishops daughter and people would call
all the time asking ,Is the bishop there? Although he was very
busy, I dont recall there being a lack of quality time spent with the
family. Hed check on us often if we were sick and put a cool hand
on our hot foreheads. The people of the ward really loved him,
and he loved them too. People said he really exemplified what his
first name was all about Love. I think he was very happy serving as bishop. Hed give these great talks with visuals to help put
across a particular point. I cant remember what the points were,
but he had this nifty talk with some blocks and a marble toy, but
the best was when he talked with Mr. Computer. He had pre-taped
the things that Mr. Computer would say on this tape recorder, and
then he walked out into the congregational aisle. He then carried
on this conversation of gospel principles with Mr. Computer.
Dad taught us the gospel over the pulpit, but he taught us best
at home. Every Sunday when we had dinner in the dining room,
hed call on someone to pray, and we would kneel and have family prayers. We would go through spurts of having daily family
prayers, but family schedules would be so varied that it wasnt too
consistent. We had family home evenings a little sporadically too,
but I remember one when he taught us of honesty. He asked us

some questions about what we would do if we found a dime in a

pay telephone coin return. I remember being amazed that Dad
would have left it there or made arrangements for the phone
company to get a hold of it. Almost every young girl knows that
you just automatically check the telephone slots for coins. I think
that was my first cognizant glimpse of a man of integrity. Dads
love of the gospel and his trust in his children influenced me
greatly throughout my life and continues to do so. He was a
good man and tried honestly to obey the commandments. I cannot remember Dad ever speaking harshly or arguing with Mom
or Grace. He used to say to us, If only I can endure to the
end and be worthy of meeting your mother. Even on his last
day on earth he was serving the Lord in the Provo Temple as
the East Millcreek Ward temple coordinator (veil worker). I feel
confident Mom and Dad are working together at this moment
to achieve their exaltation. I only hope that Rob and I with our
family can live worthily to be reunited with them some day. If I
have achieved any degree of perfection it is through the example
of my parents.

the piano and worked a lot in the garden and up at the cabin.
He really was a nice painter and I loved to hear him play on
the piano. Between songs hed play two notes in a trill over and
over until he could get to the next song. He was a very talented
man and tried to immerse himself in some of these things. He
read lot, usually in the bathroom while he was on the throne.
I remember he always seemed to be reading the latest edition of
Thirty Days to Increase Your Word Power or something like
that in the Readers Digest. He encouraged me to read by asking me what I was reading and that interest helped me to love
books.
Dads Fun Side
Our yard was manicured nicely under his care. He built a patio next to the garage and put in a vegetable garden and planted
some rose bushes on the side of the house that he gave to me.
Sometimes hed plant so many vegetables that Carolyn and I (the
new cooks) didnt quite know how to use them all. He also gave
unusual and interesting gifts cans of tuna fish for Valentines
and toothpaste in stockings. One Christmas he must have had
a hey day a 3 karat ring for Mom that had 3 carrots on it, a big
eraser for Carolyn that said, I never make big misteaks and
every time youd pick up a gift, there would be loud pop under
it. He gave the sheerest negligee to Mom that was about 10
long with the inscription, Something Id like to see more of
you in.

Dads Influence in My Teenage Years

As I approached young womanhood or that of a self-centered teenager, communications with Dad became less frequent.
I was too involved with my self, school and friends to be much
concerned with parents and family. I feel very badly about this
because I think Dad wanted to talk with me, but I just couldnt
feel comfortable about it. Dads hearing wasnt the greatest and
talking casually on high volume was difficult for me. When
Mom died in 1969, Dads world came crashing down on him.
His sweetheart had passed away and with her went some of Dad
too. He was still acting as Bishop, working at the Bakery, but I
think his life was empty. He started to oil paint more and play

Speaking of Christmas he just had such fun on those days.

For family parties he would get dressed up in this red and white
flannel nightshirt and cap, put on a belt of bells, a beard, and
those Groucho Marx glasses with the big nose attached (as if he
needed another one). Then he would dash into the living room

82

of eagerly awaiting children and adults and prance around for

a bit checking to see if everyone was having a good Christmas.
He had two puppets,
Jocko the monkey,
and later on Fifi the
poodle, who would
put on shows with
the help of Elmer an
invisible flea. Their
acrobatics of loop
de loop could defy
the best of Barnum
and Bailey. Christmas morning hed get
up, go into the living
room and put on the
music and make a fire
and then come out all
excited saying, Looks
like Santa has been
here! John as the
Clayton dressed up at Christmas with
Jocko the monkey
youngest child would
be given a quick peak and then wed all rush into our Christmas
surprises. On Easter, Dad would get us an Easter Bonnet kind
of gift and the Thanksgiving turkey was always placed in front
of him for carving. I remember birthdays cakes with sparklers
on them on special money cakes that had coins wrapped up in
napkins baked right inside the cake. Family reunions and parties
in general were all a little more bright because Clayton Dunford
was there.

Dads Life After Mom

Dad married Dawna Whipple about a year after mothers
death. Some of this is rather hazy as I think Ive blocked out
some of what went on during the last part of my high school
experience. When Dad remarried, I believe he had hopes of
establishing a normal family relationship again. We were asked
to call Dawna mother and her two sons Steve and Bryan came
to live with us. I dont know what all went on, but, shortly after their honeymoon, things just didnt work out and they got
a divorce after about 10 months of marriage. The spring of my
senior year was not a particularly happy time for any of us, and
I think both sides learned lot about the difficulty of uniting two
families. Dad really had a terrible year divorce was something
he had perhaps counseled others to avoid and here it was happening to him. He did not discuss his thoughts with me, but I
dont think he was feeling wonderful. Dad started to date again,
but more cautiously. It was fun to tease him to Remember who
he was before he went out on a date.
During the end of my freshman year at the University of
Utah, Dad met Grace Brinkerhoff Higgs at an evening Spanish class through a local community school. Things blossomed,
and they were married in June. During the summer, they lived
up at the cabin while John and I lived at Laird Avenue and her
son Mark lived at her home. It was kind of an odd situation,
but I think they enjoyed their months up at the cabin. I went
away to school at USU and my association with Dad was now
through letters or on some weekends when I would come home.
By this time, Dad had sold his interest in the bakery and had
invested his money in a new travel study business, Study Guild
International. He had prospects and new ideas, but I think this
job was very challenging for Dad. One time I invited Dad and
83

Grace to dinner at my Logan apartment, and it seemed like he

had now begun to realize that I was in Home Economics and
that I was working to graduate. He told me about his mother and
how she had taught Home Economics at LDS High and how the
two of them had started the bakery. I think he was pleased with
my efforts and would say that hed like for his mother to meet
me some day. During spring of 1973, Dad and I started talking
about the possibility of my going to Europe in the summer. I
thought he was joking at first, but before long we had started
to make preparations. He really helped a lot in making flight
arrangements and paying for my ticket to Switzerland and back.
While I was gone (5 months), he really prayed for my safety
Grace later told me. I was kind of surprised because I had the
impression that Dad thought that I would be just fine. Im sure
it was the prayers of a faithful dad that helped me safely through
Europe. When I returned in December, Dad was having rather
a bleak time his business had folded and through the course
of the next year I understand he lost about $250,000. All that is
very complicated, and Im not the one to tell that story. Grace
was a tremendous support to him and gave much to his happiness in the four years they were married.

about how I could help the Higgs and the Dunfords live harmoniously. He wasnt trying to meddle just trying to help us.
Fall came and I moved to Ogden to begin my first year as
a teacher at Weber High School. During Christmas 1975, my
bishop (Orrin Hatch) talked with Dad and Grace about calling
me on a mission. As in many things, Dad willingly consented
to support me financially and emotionally throughout the next
year and a half. Dad stressed the point that to become a wife
and a mother was my first calling here on earth, but that he
would be very pleased to have me serve the Lord on a mission. I
really appreciated his words of support and comfort. I began initial preparations such as indicating to Weber High School that
I would not be returning the next year. I gave Rob Lloyd a call
telling him about my plans, and the next thing I knew we were
discussing something other than a mission. Dad was so helpful
during this time of decision making. I remember calling Dad
one night from my apartment in Ogden after feeling like I was
in love and asking, What shall I do? Dad said to say something
to Rob like, Im going on a mission unless you ask me to marry you. Of course I didnt say that, but soon we were making
plans for marriage not mission. I had an old boyfriend that was
causing me some doubt about my future plans, and Dad wisely
said, faint heart never won fair lady. Rob certainly did not
have a faint heart, and on March 12,1976, we were engaged. We
planned to have our wedding in July, so Dad and Grace planted
and pruned their gardens until everything was just beautiful.
Dad decorated the most exquisite cake for our wedding in pale
blue with a little gazebo on top that enclosed two kissing dolls. It
was a loving work or art except he wanted to put a flag on top of
the gazebo because I was being married in the Bicentennial year
-1976. Fortunately, I won out by agreeing to the fake bird call in
the garden. Perhaps I should have opted for the flag.

When time for graduation came, I think Dad was very proud.
He, my brother Rob, and Carolyn came to my commencement
exercises. Dad treated us to lunch and gave me a large Bible with
my name printed in gold on the front. It read Gloria D. with
plenty of room to put a new last name. Carolyn later told me that
he had really struggled over what to get for a graduation present, and I think it was a beautiful gift. In 1975 Dad and Grace
moved into their new home on Millstream Lane where a lot of
love had gone into the planning and building of that home. Dad
had a vegetable garden and organized his garage by painting it
and putting up shelves. Once in a while, Dad I would have talks
84

Dads Later Counsel

always a joy. I hope that I can follow in his footsteps for a happy
family reunion in the hereafter. My dad, my dad, I love my dad.

During this important time in my life, Dad offered lot of

counsel and reassurance that I was doing the right thing. I remember one Sunday where Dad, Grace, Rob and I knelt together in the living room to bless us with the understanding and
knowledge we needed to make this important step in our lives.
Rob and I received a special fathers blessing the night before we
were married. It was perhaps the last fathers blessing he gave
to one of his children, and I feel very privileged to have had his
hands on my head to bestow blessings of love from my Heavenly
Father through the priesthood Dad held.

Johns Memories
The Faith of My Father
The value of prayer has played a vital role in my life. Mostly,
I have received blessings as a result of the prayers I have offered.
Sometimes, however, I have been blessed, not because of my
own prayers, but because of the prayers of others on my behalf.

Dad honored his priesthood a blessing not only to me but

to all of his children. Although Dad had many weaknesses and
experienced many trials, I think his life truly was a success. He
loved in the ways he knew how to love and always trusted and
expected the best in his fellowmen. He and Mom raised nine
children all of whom have been married in the temple and are
currently serving in some capacity in the church. He founded
Dunford Bakers Inc., worked with Boy Scouts, played Santa
Claus to a bus load of mentally disabled children, cooked hot
dogs in the park at Halloween, loved astronomy and oh so many
things. But I love him and remember him best simply because he
was my dad. He died suddenly in the celestial room of the Provo
Temple in August of 1976. Apparently he had said earlier that
he felt that the temple would be a nice place to pass from this
life into the next. Perhaps his death in such a beautiful place as
the temple is an indication of the life he led and of his eventual
reward.

I was still in my pre-teen years when two friends and I took

our first trip on the bus to downtown Salt Lake City. Our mothers didnt seem to be overly concerned for our welfare (perhaps
they saw this as a way for us to assert our independence) so they
allowed us to go. I think that in our young minds we saw it as a
sort of initiatory rite into manhood.
One of my friends, Danny Lloyd, had us convinced that he
knew the bus routes and assured us that he could get us there
and back in safety. So, excited with the thoughts of the fun day
ahead, one Saturday morning we boarded the bus at the designated place and time to begin our adventure.
The first stop of the day was the old Lyric Theater where
we watched Godzilla stomp through the streets of Tokyo, his
mechanical tail swishing back and forth as it demolished everything in its path. I remember being somewhat bored by the
whole thing actually, and anxious to move on to other, more
exciting places of interest. So after the last remnants of popcorn

I am grateful to my Dad and for his example of patience,

creativity, and love he had for a daughter that Im sure was not

85

were tossed into our mouths and downed with a frosty Hires
root beer, we trotted the few blocks to our favorite store in the
whole world, the Loftus Novelty Shop. We were always amazed
to see the tricks and illusions, the flash paper, cards, flies in plastic ice cubes, hand buzzers, and itching powder, etc. Making our
final choice of what to buy was always difficult, but lots of fun.
We then spent the remainder of the afternoon in the downtown
area enjoying the shops and department stores.

This was not a good sign, I remember thinking, and we knew

that something was very wrong. Further and further down State
Street we went, to about 64th South, I guess. It was time to take
action. So from our seats in the back of the bus, we walked to
the front where the driver sat and calmly asked where we were
going. He said, Sandy.

Evening soon arrived, however, and we knew it was time

to return home. We walked to the bus stop, then waited. We
waited a long time. Several buses came and went, but none was
ours. After a quick recheck, we determined that yes, this was
the same stop at which we had been dropped off earlier in the
day. We looked at each other, wondering what we should do.
Then Danny suggested that we take a different bus, stating that
it passed along the same route we needed anyway. My other
friend, Mark Lundgren, and I were skeptical, asking, Are you
SURE?

This was bad. Very bad. I knew, because Sandy, in those

days, was located at the ends of the earth. OK, well, maybe not
at the ends of the earthbut from Sandy you could see the ends
of the earth. Stunned, we looked at each other in disbelief, then
chastised our friend for taking us into what may as well have
been Nevada. We were doomed.

I shrieked, Sandy?

The driver was kindly however, and gave us each a transfer pass, saying that if we were lucky, we could catch the last
bus heading north back into Salt Lake. Finally, something went
right for us. We changed buses and soon found ourselves going
north on State Street. Life was looking up again. That is, until
the second bus driver announced he was going to drop us off at
the corner of State Street and 9th South, that he was headed to
the garage for the night. Our hearts sank, and we knew we were
still a long way from 19th East and 13th South, our ultimate
destination.

Danny responded with confidence. Yes, he said.

Being the eldest of our trio, and having supposedly done this
a million times, as he claimed, he again convinced us that this
would be our best way home.
It was a risk, we knew, but it seemed to be the most reasonable solution, so we boarded the bus, albeit with some trepidation. It was now dark, approaching probably 9:00 p.m. or so.
The bus headed south on State Street, and we trusted we were on
our way home, until one of us noticed that it appeared more passengers were getting off the bus than those who were getting on
(which was nobody!). At last we were the only ones remaining.

By now, we agreed it would be best to call home. We did, but

no one was there. Of course, right? Numb in our predicament,
we felt the gloom of a lonely night begin to creep in. What were
we to do?
I would like to say that we had enough sense to say a prayer,
if not right there on the street corner, then at least in our hearts.
86

But we were too busy scolding our friend for leading us on a

wild goose chase to think of that.

which became very popular because of its message and music.

The play called Saturdays Warriors, brought tears to both our
eyes and I am reminded now of the words of one of the songs--they go something like this--I take a pencil in my hand, and
with it draw a man and so I do, may God bless me that it will be
accurate, factual and of worth in drawing a picture of a man.
The man being my husband Love Clayton Dunford for a very
short four years and six weeks.

Suddenly, I saw a sight that put both gladness and fear into
my heart at the same time. It was my Dad! He was in his car
rounding the corner across the street. Our eyes met, and I signaled him to wait, which he did by pulling into a parking lot
nearby. It was so good to see him again! Well, sort of. Actually,
it was good because I knew we were again safe, but not so good
because I knew a lecture was in the making and I didnt want to
be embarrassed in front of my friends.

Our Marriage
I married Love Clayton Dunford the spring morning of the
last day of June in 1972, in the Manti Temple. As we knelt at the
altar that beautiful morning (after first acting as witnesses to an
earlier sealing), I felt unseen arms enfold me and knew that others in the room that morning were accepting and blessing our
marriage. And so it was blessed, and it is my conviction that L.
C. Dunford found some of the love and peace he had longed for
since losing Elizabeth, his beloved.

He greeted us warmly (that was encouraging, I thought) and

motioned for us to get in the car. Silenced prevailed for most of
the ride home until he pulled the car over to the side of the road.
I knew then that he hadnt forgotten about the lecture part. I
sank in my seat. After we discussed potential solutions for the
future, I again sat upright and thought that the lecture hadnt
really been so bad after all.
I asked then how he was able to find us, which to me, was an
absolute miracle. He said he had prayed, that Heavenly Father
had answered his prayer. I did learn an important lesson that
night, one that I have never forgotten, for when I have I since
felt alone, lost, or afraid, I have prayed to my Heavenly Father.
He has also blessed me with sweet feelings of peace in my heart.
I was also grateful I had a Dad who was in tune with the Spirit
and whose prayers for my safe return home were answered.

Gloria finished her college education, married Robin Lloyd

in the Salt Lake Temple and a beautiful reception was held the
evening of her marriage (July 8th, 1976) in the garden and house.
It was all peach and blue and Clayton had worked very hard all
spring to see that flowers were growing and that everything was
in the right colors. Her cake, so lovingly decorated by him, was
not traditional but so very outstanding in its originality and colors.
Hanging on the wall in our blue bedroom is an exquisitely
decorated Valentine cookie, expressing all the love this beautifully creative man desired to express---and his talent or expressing his feelings seemed to me to be endless. Also hanging on the

Memories of Grace Higgs Dunford,

In July, 1975, and again in July, 1976, Clayton and I saw a play
87

walls in our home are oil paintings and water colors--all from his
soul through his talented hands. Immediately on the bathroom
wall adjoining our bedroom is a painting of a fountain and ruins
that he completed upon our return from a trip to Europe. This
summer it was tole painting, taught by his daughter Gayle, he
was a good student as our mailbox will attest. In the corner of
our backyard is a white-stone pool and fountain, with colored
lights shining brightly in the evening, all a labor of love and
beauty.

to help with the Sunday School program God shed His Grace
on Thee. He followed through---seeing that there were practices, that diction was correct, coloring acceptable (red, white
and blue, even making large ribbons for the occasion) and so
presenting to us a very warm, wonderful program commemorating our Nations 200th anniversary.
A Man of Many Talents
What else about this wonderful man did I discover? That he
was a very mode man--always encouraging another in his talents, feeding my ego---never speaking of his own. Yet so pleased
that his talents pleased me---and they did--going off to sleep
while he played the piano was to me almost a luxury. He loved
his piano and loved playing it for his appreciative audience.

His Desire to Learn

His command of the English language was way beyond the
ordinary--eloquent in both the written and spoken word. His
insatiable desire to learn all about the world he lived in took him
back to McCune School of Music to learn the piano, to the University of Utah, where he studied for two years at the same time
his children were in college, to the BYU Ext. Division where
he studied Spanish (and was the factor that brought he and I
together), to classes in water colors, to baking school in Minneapolis, to a study of Astronomy, and a devouring of many historical and Church books on his own. He was always intensely
interested in all around him, people, places and things.

His vegetable garden has provided us very amply with almost all the vegetables needed for our table. So great was his
harvest of parsnips last year that we couldnt eat or give them
away fast enough. Home-grown tomatoes graced our table even
as late as Thanksgiving Day in 1975 (this year was no exception). His beautiful flowers fed our souls as the vegetables did
our bodies. He counted growing in our garden of love last year
over 100 varieties of flowers and plants. A man of faith plants
his garden knowing he will not be around to reap the harvest.
Clayton was such a man.

His deep, vibrant voice brought alive to me all the beauties

that God has graced this earth with. We shared a love of poetry,
good novels, (the last one Centennial), a love of Church doctrine, and love of country. Each Sunday morning he came home
from Priesthood Meeting to share the lesson of the week with
me --- oftentimes asking for my thoughts or opinions.

In the fall of 1973 we took a ride on the Amtrak back to Detroit, Michigan, where Rob, Jill, and family met us to take us on
to their home in Midland, Michigan. We spent a wonderful week
in Midland and surrounding country, enjoying the warm hospitality in the home of Rob and Jill. The sight-seeing trip they took
with us will always be a cherished memory of very fertile and

This July 4th, 1976, was a Sunday and our ward joined the
nation in celebrating its 200th anniversary. Clayton was asked

88

green rolling countryside. On the ride home

we had a few hours to spend in Chicago and so
went shopping at Marshall Fields Department
Store, bringing home a lovely blue vase for the
living room. We experienced a train wreck just
outside of Denver. The train ran into a large
oil derrick, shearing it in half and scattering
metal for miles. How blessed we were--no
injuries--and we flew on home from Denver,
compliments of the railroad.

as they stopped in front of our house and were

entertained and treated to a gingerbread man
with their own name on it since living on Millstream Lane.
A Man of Faith

Clayton and His Grandchildren

Christmas meant children--all children-but most especially his children and grandchildren--he wanted them to be happy, laughing
and singing, but mostly he wanted them to remember him--and so they will--for his Santas
nightshirt, bells, and puppets (Jocko, Fifi and
Elmer, the flea) will now be a Christmas tradition for the Dunford children.

Clayton and Grace playing on the shore of

Lake Michigan

Sad times came also to this wonderful man

and he was a tower of strength and faith to his
family as he met his and their problems. In
March, 1976, together with Ron and Carolyn
Kasteler, we knelt in an available room at the
Primary Childrens Hospital and prayed for
Gods will in the case of little Nathan Richard Kasteler. He supported his daughter when
Gods will was that Nathan should be called
Home. He played at the funeral service for Nathan, Oh My Father. Six months later Carolyn was to play at the funeral service for her
father Oh My Father.

He diligently did his part and more in fasting and in prayer

when we held the family fast for little Kimberly, daughter of
Carlos and Judy. That was seemingly efficacious in her behalf
also.

He shall be remembered by some of them for his bear

hugs and other for tweaking his rather large nose that would
automatically make the tongue flop from side to side. The 30
living grandchildren as of this date will have fond memories of
Grandpa Dunford, for they know that he loved them.

His faith helped him to stand by John during a time of operation on his leg and just shortly after the death of Elizabeth.
His faith for his grandson John was also manifest to the family when an accident caused him to lose an eye. He was truly a
grand old Patriarch of the Dunford family and his faith sustained and helped all his children many a time. Gloria requested,
and received a fathers blessing at his hand many times during

Other memories are the costumes he donned on Halloween as he greeted the employees at Dunford Bakeries, and more
recently the employees at Blue Cross Blue Shield, where he was
always the life of the party. His Christmas nightshirt and puppets were very familiar to a bus load of young retarded children

89

our years together. Rob requested a fathers blessing when he

was preparing to return to Midland via automobile after June
Conference. How proud and happy he was to be able to perform
this great ordinance.

In Conclusion
At the beginning of this brief history of Love Clayton Dunfords life, the reader was invited to judge whether he had lived
up to the privileges and promises pronounced in his patriarchal
blessing. In reality, only the Lord and Clayton himself qualify
to make this judgment. Clayton Dunford was not a perfect man.
Nevertheless, we believe a careful review of his life reveals that
he indeed followed remarkably well the admonitions of the patriarch 41 years before his passing:

He shall always be remembered by his wife Grace, for tender love notes, surprise presents before Christmas, and a tree
laden with gifts on Christmas (even vinegar was wrapped one
year). For birthday presents and questions long before my birthday of what do you want for your birthday, I will remember
him. I will remember a neat, clean garage all painted green and
a picture hanging on the wall with a place for everything and
everything in its place, for bright shining windows, for evenings
around a cheery fireplace, for love and tender nursing after surgery, for quiet talks, and firm commitments, forever expecting
more than he couldgive--and for a passionate, loving nature.

Clayton dedicated himself self in earnest prayer to his

Heavenly Father night and morning, who indeed became his
Guardian Angel, the Great Teacher.

The believing blood in his veins indeed manifested itself in

many works of righteousness, in deeds of love, and in acts
of mercy throughout his life.

He lived so that his example was a living witness and testimony that he knew God was his Father, that Joseph Smith
is a prophet, and that the Church of Christ had been restored to the earth.

These things became very definite in Claytons life and were

the dominant influence that directed him in all he did.

Clayton selected wisely the companion of his choice and in

the Temple of God completed that union.

He made his home life desirable and beautiful for love and
gentleness. He was one with his companion in all things.

When his way seemed uncertain and conditions were forbid-

Enduring to the End

On the 25th day of August, 1975, Clayton received a call to
be a veil worker in the Salt Lake Temple. Every Tuesday for the
four and five oclock sessions he would be there to carry out his
duty and responsibilities; this included his birthday on Dec. 16th,
1975. Though he loved this calling it was not an easy assignment
for him. You see, as Paul of old, Clayton had his thorn in the
flesh. He had lost much of his hearing and the rest seemed to
be going very rapidly. Though he wore his hearing aid it seemed
to be of little value to him and so he had to memorize very well
and strain to hear what was being said. This was a hard thing to
bear for such a proud man and he tried in vain to cover up for
the hearing loss.

90

ding, Clayton went to his God and sought His fellowship,

in everything, small and great.

10. Ibid., p 9

He rarely, if ever, spoke harshly or sought revenge and

avoided many other vices, as admonished in his patriarchal
blessing.

12. Hazel Love Dunford, Letter to Clayton, Red Book, 1928 or

1929, p. 3

11. Ibid., p 5

13. Ibid, p 3
14. Autobiography of Love Clayton Dunford, Nov. 27, 1967,
p.6

For these and many other examples of his obedience and

faithfulness, Love Clayton Dunford was blessed with every
gift and grace essential for [his] happiness here and [his] glory
hereafter. Nothing would make him happier than to see his
posterity qualify to receive these same blessings and more. That
Claytons family and posterity may be encouraged to remember
who they are, to follow his example, and thereby merit celestial
life with him and his dear wife, Elizabeth, have been the major
purposes of this history.

15. p 14
16. L. Clayton Dunford, Letter to Elizabeth, Red Book, Oct. 17,
1951
17. Elizabeth Bitner, Note to Clayton, Red Book., circa 932
18. L. Clayton Dunford, Letter to Elizabeth, Red Book, Dec. 30,
1933
19. L. Clayton Dunford, Letter to Elizabeth, Red Book, Jan. 27,
1952
20. Autobiography of Love Clayton Dunford, Nov. 27, 1967,
p.4

Endnotes

21. Letter from L. Clayton Dunford, Red Book, 1968/69, p. 9

1.

John M. Whittaker, Patriarchal Blessing, LDS Church Historical Dept., 961:353, March 11, 1935

2.

Autobiography of Love Clayton Dunford, Nov. 27, 1967,

p.1

3.

Interview with Burns L. Dunford, by Robert R. and Jeddy

L. Dunford, August 17, 1997, p.1

24. Autobiography of Love Clayton Dunford, Nov. 27, 1967, p.

7

4.

Autobiography of Love Clayton Dunford, Nov. 27, 1967,

p.2

25. L. Clayton Dunford, Letter to Elizabeth, Red Book, Dec. 25,

1936, p.21

5.

Ibid., p 12

6.

Ibid., p 4

26. L Clayton Dunford, Personal Journal, Memoirs of a Father, 1944-1964, pp. 11, 12

7.

Ibid., p 3

8.

Ibid., p 13

9.

Ibid., p 9

22. Elizabeth B. Dunford, Red Book, July, 1935, p. 9

23. L. Clayton Dunford, Red Book, April 29, 1936, p. 11

27. Autobiography of Love Clayton Dunford, Nov. 27, 1967,

p.7
28. Letter from L. Clayton Dunford to Burns L. Dunford, June
13, 1937, pp 1, 2
29. Letter from L. Clayton Dunford to Burns L. Dunford, Au-

91

51. Maurine Phippen Dunford, The Story of Dunford Bakers, Inc., Oct.
20, 1989, p.6

gust 9, 1938, p 2
30. Letter from L. Clayton Dunford to Burns L. Dunford, September 19,
1938, p 3

52. Ibid., p.8

53. L. Clayton Dunford, Personal Journal, 1964-67, p 96

31. Maurine Phippen Dunford, The Story of Dunford Bakers, Inc., Oct.
20, 1989

54. Ibid., p 95, 96

32. L Clayton Dunford, Personal Journal, Memoirs of a Father, 19441964, p 101

55. Ibid., p 98, 99

33. Mae Christensen Dunford, Interview by Robert R. Dunford, June 26,

1999, p.3

56. Ibid., p 100, 101

34. Maurine Phippen Dunford, The Story of Dunford Bakers, Inc., Oct.
20, 1989, p.4

57. Ibid., p 102

58. Robert R. Dunford, Personal Journal, Dec. 1, 1969, pp 279-281

35. Autobiography of Love Clayton Dunford, Nov. 27, 1967, p.8

59. L. Clayton Dunford, Personal Journal, 1964-67, p 110

36. L Clayton Dunford, Personal Journal, Memoirs of a Father, 19441964, p.22, 23

60. L. Clayton Dunford, Personal Journal, 1970, pp 149 - 151

37. Ibid, p 109

61. Ibid., p 151 - 155

38. L. Clayton Dunford, Red Book, his comments after re-typing Elizabeths 1949 polio account, Feb. 1970, p. 15

62. L. Clayton Dunford, Personal Journal, 1970, p 126

63. Ibid., p 134

39. L. Clayton Dunford, Personal Journal, Aug. 19, 1948, p. 151

40. L. Clayton Dunford, Letter to Elizabeth, Red Book, Oct. 17, 1951

64. L. Clayton Dunford, I List My Problems and Major Events, June,

1971, in possession of Robert Dunford.

41. Letter from L. Clayton Dunford to Baking Industry Magazine, Red

Book, 1952

65. L. Clayton Dunford, Personal Journal, February 12, 1972

66. Letter from Grace Higgs Dunford, January 9, 1995, in possession of
Robert Dunford

42. Letter from L. Clayton Dunford to Burns L. Dunford, November 25,

1938, p 2

67. Letter from Grace Higgs Dunford, in possession of Robert Dunford

43. Autobiography of Love Clayton Dunford, Nov. 27, 1967, p.9

44. Ibid., p. 8
45. Ibid., p. 10
46. L. Clayton Dunford, Desk Diary, June 11, 1964
47. L. Clayton Dunford, Personal Journal, 1964-67, p.1
48. Ibid., p 53
49. Ibid., p 64
50. Autobiography of Love Clayton Dunford, Nov. 27, 1967, p.9, 10

92

94

Chapter Two

Elizabeth Bitner Dunford

1913 - 1976

By Gayle Dunford Wilson

95

Significant Dates and Events in the Life of

Elizabeth Bitner Dunford

Born premature April 29th in Salt Lake City, Utah.

1914
Birth
Baptized by her father, Roy H. Bitner, on April 29th.
1922
Age 8
1929
Age 15
Moves with family to home on 1436 South 14th East .
Elizabeth meets L. Clayton Dunford at LDS High School.
1930
Age 16
Clayton visits Elizabeth in California, begins courtship.
1933
Age 18
Elizabeth and Clayton are engaged.
1935
Age 20
Elizabeth marries Clayton May 29th in the Salt Lake Temple. 1936
Age 22
Carlos born on March 2nd; called as drama director in
1937
Age 23

Forest Dale Ward.

1939
Age 25
David born on April 17th; 7th South bakery (No. 1) built;

called as ward Relief Society counselor.
Gayle born on July 26th; moves to home at 664 So. 9th East
1940
Age 26
1942
Age 28
Douglas born on Elizabeths birthday April 29th; home

at 868 South 14th East.
Called as stake Gleaner supervisor.
1943
Age 29
Called as ward Primary president in December.
1944
Age 30
Robert born on February 24th
1945
Age 31
1947 Age 33
Daniel born on January 7th
Polio episode starts in February; Home paid for;
1948
Age 34

Emigration Canyon cabin begun
Carolyn born on June 5th
1951
Age 37
Clayton is called to ward bishopric; family moves to
1952
Age 38

1835 Laird Avenue.
1953
Age 39
Gloria born on July 26th.
John born on January 11th.
1956
Age 41
Carlos called on mission to New England.
1957 Age 43
Carlos returns from mission; David called on mission to
1959
Age 45

Australia.
David returns from mission; Douglas called on mission to
1961
Age 47

Britain.
Claytons 7th South bakery (No. 1) closes; A&W fails.
1962
Age 48
Douglas returns from British mission.
1963
Age 49
Clayton called as bishop; Robert called on mission to
1964
Age 50

Argentina.
Daniel called on mission to Mexico; Robert returns
1966
Age 52
from mission.
Daniel returns from mission; Stephen resigns bakery;
1968
Age 54

Burns president.
Clayton resigns bakery; starts at HiLand Dairy.
1969
Age 55
Gives moving testimony at stake conference on September 1st. 1969
Age 55
Elizabeth dies of cancer on December 1st.
1969
Age 55

96

She was named Elizabeth, after her Grandma Felt, who

cared for her so tenderly. There was always a close bond between
Elizabeth and her grandmother. Elizabeths daughter, Gayle,
remembered visiting her with Elizabeth at the Kimball Apartments located on North Main Street in Salt Lake City. She was
a very tiny lady with white hair. Elizabeth would many times
comb and fix her hair. She liked to have her grandchildren come
and visit. However, the grandchildren had to be very quiet and
listen carefully when she talked. She would tell them stories of
what it was like in the olden times when she was a pioneer
and walked across the plains. This kindly lady was dearly loved.
Elizabeth helped her children to appreciate the elderly and how
to treat them as they observed the care that she gave to her aging
grandmother.

Elizabeths Birth and First Home

Elizabeth Bitner was born during a very bad storm at
the family home at 1424 South Fourteenth East. She was the
second child in a family of fivefour girls and one boy. Her
mother, Irma Felt Bitner, was ill with diphtheria. Dr. Jane Schofield was very concerned because the baby would be two months
premature and probably would not live. However, the doctors
real concern was for the mother and on 29 April 1914, the baby
girl was born weighing 2 lbs. 14 oz. Dr. Schofield was heard to
say, Oh, give her the benefit of the extra ounces and just call it
three pounds.1 The baby was administered to by the laying on
of hands by her father, Roy H.
Bitner. Alma Elizabeth Mineer
Felt, Irmas mother, was in attendance during the delivery.
She was determined that the
baby would live. While the doctor was turning her attention to
Irma, Irmas mother took the
tiny baby and rubbed her body
with olive oil and wrapped her
in what was called cotton wool.
She asked Roy to fix a light bulb
inside a small box to make it
warm, something like an incubator.2 The wrappings that
covered and protected her body
Elizabeth at age two
were changed often and she was fed
from an eye dropper. The tiny baby was kept in this box and
cared for night and day by her grandmother until her mother
was strong enough to care for her on her own.

Second Home
When Elizabeth was fifteen years old, the growing Bitner family moved to a new home just two doors down at 1436
South Fourteenth East. There was much more room and an additional two bedrooms. It was from this home that Elizabeth
attended her secondary school at Roosevelt Junior High School
and the Latter-day Saints College.3 It was also the home where
her wedding reception was held. This and their first home were
located on the east bench of Salt Lake City and were designed
and built by Irma and Roy, Elizabeths parents.4
The family belonged to the Wasatch Ward or congregation of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in
the Granite Stake. Elizabeth recalled, My church has played
a very important part in my life and I have always enjoyed attending Primary, Religion Class, Mutual, and Sunday School. In
Primary, I was the lead in an operetta when I was about 8 years

97

should have rain, so he and I prayed very earnestly behind his

garage . . . needless to say, it rained cats and dogs and, of course,
we took all the credit. The time we had the flu and Mrs. Grant,
our neighbor, brought us some gifts . . . mine was a black bag
filled with wonderful brass bottles and cases, perfume and soap
. . . it was just like a
fairyland. I remember playing in
the trees in front of Miss Myers and Miss Hollands house . . .
the birthday parties with gifts tied to strings and hidden all over
the living room . . . our Airedale dog riding on the fender of the
car and grinning at the other dogs who tried to follow him . . . the
wonderful camping trips that we went on with Dad . . . he was
a marvelous camper . . . fixing up all the little conveniences that
made the trip comfortable and memorable . . . the Yellowstone
trip and ride down Teton Pass without chains and Brother Ashton telling Dad to run into his car if he had trouble, and then
going so slowly that Dad really had trouble . . . Dad exclaiming
over the beauties of nature, telling us to look down and see how
high up we were, going right through clouds and Mother sitting
in the back seat holding Bob and saying through her teeth, Roy,
keep your eyes on the road. Then when we got to the bottom, all
the women were sick, everyone tired and the children crying . . .
wet and cold . . . I had to get some water from the stream and got
stung by some stinging nettle . . . that was the final straw and I
cried, too . . . roller skating, playing Andy I Over . . . and tag
around the street corner light with the Ashton kids . . . Wendell
and Marvin . . . Afton . . . Merle and Leone Russell . . . Gilbert
Langton . . . Grant Brasier . . . racing with Mary Culver and
being dragged across the asphalt pavement on my knees, leaving
a strip of blood . . . wonderful visits to Grandma Felts house
on 7th East where she had a large rag doll dressed in pioneer
clothes with golden hair . . . the beautiful doll Mother gave me for
Christmas . . . it had been hers and had a lovely kid glove body,

of age, which was a thrill . . . as a member of my Gleaner Class in

Mutual, I enjoyed being president of the class, and then was representative to the stake. I taught Jr. Sunday School for a number
of years . . . and became acquainted with Brother Earl J. Glade,
who taught the Teacher Training Course. He later became Mayor of Salt Lake City.5 Elizabeth admired him greatly, as well as
Elder Hugh B. Brown of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.
Elizabeth was a pretty child with very fair skin, dark hair,
and hazel eyes. She had a happy childhood and wrote of her earliest fond memories in one of her life stories. She remembered
the following:
[I remember] going with my father and mother to the old Bitner
farm and a lamb nipping the button on my black and white
checked coat . . . riding with my Aunt Etta in her car as she
rode or backed onto the lawn on 2nd South hill . . . playing in
her house and her boys giving us shocks with an electric machine
. . . the wonderful food, pies and cakes she always had on hand
. . . playing paper dolls under the table while my mother sewed
. . . a beautiful black velvet hat with pink lining which mother
had made me, the corn that grew in the field between our house
and our neighbors which my father had planted . . . rolling down
green grass in our backyard . . . playing dolls and house in the
garden and using the hose to produce a river by the play village
my sister, Mary, and I had made . . . The Christmas that trees
were so expensive mother and dad had warned us that there
would be no tree . . . and then getting up Christmas morning and
seeing the most beautiful creation . . . a huge Japanese parasol
decorated with lights and tinsel . . . the handle just touching a
table laden with gifts . . . that was the most beautiful Christmas that I can remember. Then there was the time my cousin,
Lamont Toronto (now Secretary of State), and I decided we
98

jointed arms and legs with a China head. The doll broke when
my cousin, Paul, tossed it out of the buggy so he could tear down
the street, yelling at the top of his voice . . . how I hated boys
then . . . the wonderful games we used to have at Aunt Ettas,
playing at the table with everyone . . . donkey . . . palm up . .
. and charades . . . the time Mary and I had tonsils out and not
being able to eat the ice cream we were promised . . . then having
Wally and Joe Toronto giving us the cupboard, table and chairs
that they had made in Manual Training School.6

were laughing, presumably at their teachers fear of the little

mouse. She also recalled learning that there was no Santa Claus
in Kindergarten.7
When she was eight years old, Elizabeth was baptized into
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on 29 April 1922
by her father, Roy H. Bitner. Her memories were that
We took a car full of girlfriends down to the Tabernacle who
were also being baptized. Then we came home and had a birthday party. What a wonderful way to spend my birthday. I remember being given a straw sewing basket by our hired girl,
Esther, which was filled with butterscotch wafers and a friend,
Rhoda Williams, eating them. I was so mad at her!8

Elementary School Years

The second school that Elizabeth attended was Uintah Elementary located on the corner of Thirteenth South and Fifteenth East. Elizabeth played games like crack the whip.
On one unfortunate occasion, she was playing with a group of
friends at school and sprained both ankles and was taken home
in a wagon. As with most children attending school, Elizabeth
had to endure a teacher that she didnt like. In Elizabeths case,
the teacher was Miss Beauaire, whom she and her classmates
dubbed Miss Beware. Once, when Miss Beauaire gave her
a report card with all failing grades, Elizabeths mother was so
infuriated that instead of punishing Elizabeth she went to the
school and scolded the teacher.9

Elizabeth attended the Stewart Training School at the University of Utah for part of her first grade year in school; she
remembered the wonderful play equipment at the school, as well
as a memorable experience when a mouse was found inside the
school. The teachers stood up on the tables and the children

Irma Bitner, Elizabeths mother, was an excellent seamstress

and always made certain that her girls were appropriately dressed.
The girls always wore dresses to school. During the cold winters,
they also wore long underwear. It buttoned down the front and
a trap door with a few buttons in the back. It was made of medi-

Elizabeth, Bob, and Mary

99

um- to heavy-weight cotton and went down to their knees. The

sleeves were short and it was difficult to get in and out of. They
also had to wear long cotton stockings that were held in place
with garters. The garters were difficult to use over the stockings
because sometimes they were not long enough and there would
be a gap between the underwear and the stockings allowing the
cold winter winds to freeze their legs. When the girls would
come home from school, they would change their dresses and
put on another one or some kind of play clothes.10
Elizabeths mother was an extremely talented and professional woman. Her accomplishments were outstanding and
numerous. It is difficult to understand such ability outside the
home because all along she was still having children and keeping
a family life going. However, it is understood that the two oldest
daughters, Mary and Elizabeth, had a great deal of responsibility
in the raising of the younger children, Robert, Helen, and Joan,
and also caring for their home. This, along with occasional hired
help, allowed Irma to become very successful in her professional
life. It was also during the Depression years (the crash of the
stock market in 1929) when she needed to help augment her
husbands salary. Irma was very willing and capable of such a
great amount of effort in combining her professional and private
life.
Joan, Elizabeths youngest sister, remembered her older sisters with fond memories:
My early memories of Mary and Elizabeth are warm and
clear: of good meals, dancing in the living room while Mary
played the piano, costumed plays, waking from naps with freshly
ironed clothes to put on and learning to tell the truth along with
dusting and making beds. 11

There was a very large costume box that was filled with
various dress-ups for making
believe, costumes which Elizabeths own children also enjoyed using for Halloween.
Elizabeths duties as an
older sister were always carried
out with love and kindness.
Helen said that Elizabeth was
even-tempered, gentle, loving,
and fun. She became a guide
and example to her siblings.
Joan and Helen always knew
that they could go to Elizabeth
Elizabeth at age fifteen
with one of their childhood
miseries and find a listening ear
and a comforting heart.12 She would cut Helen and Joans hair
and get them ready for Sunday School and for special occasions.
Their hair was cut in a Dutch cut and she would wet it down
with a setting lotion and waving it all over, form a curl at the
forehead and one over each ear, let it dry, comb it out and tie a
ribbon in it. She also curled it in the back with the curling iron. .
. . [If she burned her sisters,] she was always very sorry.13
After nap time, Elizabeth would make her siblings a snack
of graham crackers filled with chocolate icing. Sometimes they
would be treated to a special kind of ice cream. Bottles of milk
were delivered by the dairyman and left at the front door of the
home. In the winter, the milk would freeze in the glass bottles,
pushing the cream and the lid two inches above the rim. Mary
and Elizabeth would put some of the frozen milk and cream in a
100

dish with a little vanilla and sprinkle sugar on the top, undoubtedly a special treat during challenging times.14

world; (7) and what is now the Smith Memorial Building, which
held classrooms with the Roof Gardens being used for parties
and dances.16

One of Irmas favorite holidays was Christmas. Although

there wasnt a lot of extra money for toys, Irma and Roy always
made it fun by sharing their own excitement. Elizabeth sister
Helen remembered, The decorations for the house were not
put up until Christmas Eve. The children were unable to see
them until morning and when they finally were given permission to enter the living room, the lights were turned on . . . it was
a glorious sight! The Christmas tree was brightly decorated and
there were many pretty packages under it. Our bulging stockings hung from the mantle and there was a big fire blazing in
the fireplace.15

Elizabeths sister, Mary, attended LDS Junior College at

the same time that Elizabeth was in LDS High School. They
undoubtedly shared many fun times together. They both were
active with The Gold and Blue, which was the school newspaper. Mary was the editor and Elizabeth was the reporter for the
junior class. Elizabeth also worked on the S Book, which was
the yearbook and was a member of the Girls Council.17
The S Book of 1930 mentions many dances that were held at
the Roof Garden. The Hello Dance was a getting acquainted
dance and welcome back to school. Other dances were Founders
Day, Christmas Dance, Valentines Dance, and then, of course,
the Junior Prom, which was the favorite of all. Beautiful gowns
were worn by the women with favors of dainty corsages that
were made from rose buds and sweet peas. Other dances were
the Girls Dance, the Senior Commencement Dance, and the
Graduation Dance.18 Gayle, Elizabeths oldest daughter, remembered Elizabeth telling her of the fun that she had attending all
the dances. Elizabeth was very social and had a lot of friends.
Some of the nicknames that appear in her yearbook are Liz,
Lizzy, Dizzy and Beth. She had a dislike for nicknames, but her
brother, Robert, would get away with calling her Slibs or Slib.

Junior High School and High School

Elizabeths secondary education was at Roosevelt Junior
High, located between Eighth and Ninth South on Lincoln Street
above Ninth East. From there she enrolled at LDS High School.
The campus was located in the area of the present Relief Society
Building and the Church Office Building on North Temple. It
consisted of seven buildings: (1) the Lion House, where her future mother-in-law, Hazel Love Dunford, taught domestic arts
and homemaking; (2) the Mechanic Arts Building, which was
used for auto mechanics, woodwork and mechanical drawing;
(3) the Business College, used for the preparing of students for
the business world; (4) Barratt Hall, where the student assemblies took place; (5) the Deseret Gymnasium, which was the center for the athletic program; (6) the Young Memorial Building,
which was where students learned the ways and manners of the

Courtship
While Elizabeth was attending LDS High School, she met
her husband-to-be, Love Clayton Dunford (Clayton). They
took several classes together, but one in particular stands out
101

because of the subject matter. It was

Brother Frank McGhies religion class
where the lessons and discussions
were on the meaning and importance
of a temple marriage. They both listened with deeper thoughts because
they had started their courtship.
Another class that Elizabeth
was enrolled in was Sister Hazel
Dunfords domestic arts class. Sister
Dunford was very impressed with
this student and when Clayton asked
for his mothers suggestion on who
he should invite to the dance, her reClayton and Elizabeth in
ply was Elizabeth Bitner. But Clayhigh school
ton had already had his eyes on her.
He asked her to go to the dance with him, but as it turned out,
he was unable to follow through with the date because of sports
training rules. Elizabeth asked him out for the next date. Theirs
was a developing friendship that lasted for several years before
they got married. One can only imagine the fun they had, but
there are many indications of their sweet and romantic relationship through the notes that they left each other before and after
they married.

in many different experiences. Many fun memories from their

experiences at LDS were shared with these friends and on into
the lives of their children.
During Clayton and Elizabeths courtship, notes were often
exchanged, and it became apparent that these two were meant
for each other. However, Elizabeth was given the opportunity to
work in California caring for Rod and Judy Cannons children.
The Cannons were relatives and it would give Elizabeth plenty
of time to think and plan for the future. She was gone for about
six months. Clayton was pushing her a bit, or pressing his suit,
as they used to say, meaning that he was urging her to either take
his pin or get engaged.19 It was during this time that Elizabeths
mother, Irma, wrote a precious letter to her daughter:
Salt Lake City
Jan 2, 1934
My Dear Elizabeth:
I have been thinking of the request you made of me some
time ago . . . before you left for Los Angeles . . . for a letter
written from me to you. I feel a grave responsibility, intermingled
with joy and maternal satisfaction at the thought of your wanting it. And so Im writing a New Years letter filled with good
wishes and hopes for your future.I wish it were possible to put
into words my feelings toward you, my gratitude for the magnificent way you carried on my home problems. I wish I could impart
to you a little of the love I have in my heart for you . . . a
little of the proud conceit in the thought that I have given birth
to Perfect Gift of God to me. Your sweetness, your patience
with the children, your tolerance of irksome and unending home
duties, together with all your tolerances of my own failings . . . is

Many of their friends from LDS also got married: Zella Farr
married Joseph Smith, Marjorie Kimball married Parley Giles,
Amelia Smith married Bruce R. McConkie, and Minnie Garff
married Darrell Richards. From some of this group of friends,
Elizabeth and Clayton formed a study group that met each
month throughout their married life. Their high school friendship was the basis for their support and strength of each other
102

a potent testimony of your love for me.

Elizabeth, darling, I have great hopes for your future. I believe
there is practically no position in life to which you cannot aspire.
No one, however, can open the door ahead of you, but yourself,
nor can anyone else keep it closed against you. Only through your
own efforts, your own struggles, can your ambitions be realized.
Your family can only have faith in you and give you that support
in the offing. I know, Elizabeth, that you will justify my faith in
you, that you will not fall short of my expectations. Oh, how I
wish I could follow you thru the years and watch you climb to the
glorious heights which I am sure is awaiting you. Please God, I
shall be near enough to inspire and encourage you, to strengthen
you against temptation, to protect you in danger, and to help you
hold fast to your highest ideals of womanhood, and be ever true
to the religion of your forefathers.
My constant prayer is that you be given wisdom to comprehend
the greatness of lifes responsibilities, to believe that its hardest
task may be made a blessing if met with a strong heart and a
good will, that you may be blessed with health and strength to
bear whatever ills may come and that you may have an appreciation of the good gifts bestowed upon you. And remember always,
Elizabeth, that no matter where you may go, what you may be
doing, my blessing will follow you, for after all, you are my very
own little 2 pound 14 ounce baby. How I prayed that you might
live thru those long watches of the night. And how you have
repaid the hours of care, over and over again.
Elizabeth about the time of her marriage

Well, darling, this is an awful scrawl but I love you, and know
youll forgive it. God bless you always.

Another letter was written by Elizabeths father, Roy, at

about the same time while she was living in California with the
Cannons. He wrote very tenderly of his love for his daughter:

Mother20

103

My heart is full of love for you, and I hope you will be happy in
whatever you do, for anyone with your disposition is worthy of
everything that is good. I have thought of you a lot lately and just
feel that I would like to have you near me. Girls do get married
and then the parents dont see much of them, and I am conscious
of that day perhaps not many years hence.

ing the suckers Dad had in his pocket when they needed some
energy. When they reached the top, Clayton asked Elizabeth to
marry him. He said their love was like the mountain, strong and
enduring. One can only imagine the sweetness of this time, the
beautiful sunset remembered by Elizabeth, and the joyful hearts
soon to be united as one.

You have always been a sweet lovable girl, and have been the
means of steadying the ship at home and making everyone else
partake of your happy disposition. Thats why we miss you and
feel that we are making a tremendous sacrifice to let you remain
away.21When Elizabeth returned from California, it
was clear that Clayton and Elizabeths relationship was
becoming more serious. Clayton wrote in a letter:
Oh, we were so glad to see each other . . . she came right up to me
and gave me a great big hug and a kiss and I gave her a great
big hug and a kiss . . . Oh, happy day! She said she is glad to be
back, but I know there have been some changes. This is a secret
for just us two and Im so happy and I could sing and sing and
sing. I do, too, almost every time I come home from her place. I
saw her Monday; I saw her Tuesday; I saw her Wednesday; I
saw her Thursday and Friday and Saturday and Sunday . . .
the whole week through . . . I am as happy as can be to renew my
friendship with such a truly genuine girl as she.23

Yes, Clayton was in love.

Clayton and Elizabeths engagement story was always
special when they would tell about it. Their eyes would twinkle
and they would laugh and giggle as they relived the memories of
that special day: They took a hike up Mount Olympus, enjoy-

Elizabeth and Clayton on the day of their marriage

104

Marriage

living at Hazel Dunfords

apartment.
Elizabeths
sisterin-law, Mae Christensen
Dunford,
who was married to
Steve, Claytons older
brother, recalled,

Clayton and Elizabeth were married in the Salt Lake

Temple on 29 May 1936 by Apostle David O. McKay. A wedding
reception was held at the Bitner home at 1426 South Fourteenth
East. Elizabeths mother, Irma Bitner, had brought home for
her a lovely pink wedding dress from New York. It was rather
simple and yet intricately embroidered. Her sister, Mary, was her
only attendant and wore a light blue lace dress that their mother
had also purchased and brought home from New York. Joan
and Helen also wore pink and blue. There was a heavy round
oak table with a lace tablecloth on it with a beautiful bouquet of
flowers, as well as blue and pink mints, pink punch, and fruitcake slices on a large platter. It was a very happy occasion and
the beginning of a new life together for the newlyweds as Mr.
and Mrs. L. Clayton Dunford.24

She loved having them there and

many times they
would have their Hazel holding Carlos as Elizabeth, relatives look on
meals together. It was
after Hazel passed away that Steve and I moved in. We had
such fun with Clayton and Elizabeth. I admired Elizabeth so
much and wanted to be like her. I could have been one of her
sisters. She was always so happy and knew just how to make
others happy, too. She was a very good mother and excellent
homemaker. We had wonderful visits.26

The young married couple, Clayton and Elizabeth, lived in

their first home at 2314 South Eighth East. Claytons mother,
Hazel, had an apartment made for them in her home. It was a
good source of income for her at the time and would continue
to be so when they would move to get larger quarters. Clayton
wrote,

Second Family Home

Nevertheless, it was a sacrifice for her and we will ever be grateful. The apartment had a front room, bedroom, kitchen, and
bath and back porch, all very small. The porch was an interesting room. Our bed was one of a set of twin beds and really was
all the room a newly married couple could use. At least we didnt
seem to mind the snugness of it, cuddled under the covers on a
snowy winter night.25

It was not long before the little family of Elizabeth and Clayton outgrew this house, and they soon moved to their second
home, located at 664 South Ninth East, next to the bakery. The
home was dark and dirty, but Clayton and Elizabeth did some
remodeling and painted and fixed it up to be quite comfortable.
It seemed nice to have Claytons work right next door because
he could come home in a moments notice for emergencies.
Elizabeth could also help out at the bakery and still care for the

Clayton and Elizabeths first child, Carlos, was born while

105

children who, while they lived in this home, were Carlos, David, Gayle, and Douglas.27While the home was rather small, the
greatest of memories were experienced there by their children as
all of their learning truly began in that special place. Elizabeth
was a wonderful homemaker who loved her life as the wife of
her high school sweetheart, whom she loved and adored, and as
the mother of their children who were their treasures. A letter
written to Clayton from Elizabeth as she shared some of her
tender feelings around 1943 is as follows:
Dearest Husband mine, its nearly Tuesday Noon, almost time
to start lunch. I have been cleaning up and was about to put my
box of keepsakes away when I decided to read a few of your
letters. Dear Sweetheart, I am so full of love and deep pride for
you that Ive dropped everything just to write a few lines to you. I
could say all this, but when the opportunity would come Im sure
the mood of this moment would be gone. As I read letter after
letter, each one filled with your love and hopes for the future, I
looked up and saw the fulfillment of all your dreams and mine
in three little people who are scattering things about in childs play
and I was filled with the feeling of deep thankfulness that I was
the mother of your children. Darling, I love you so much. I have
so much faith in you and your ability and I am proud of your
accomplishments. As long as we two are together, I will be happy.
Your wife, Elizabeth28
A comment from Clayton in his early journal 1944 was that
Mother and I pray every night for guidance, patience, discernment, wisdom, and understanding in guiding our children to
maturity to be a credit to their Heavenly Father and to us, fine
useful citizens, loved and respected by all.

Third Family Home

As more children were born, more space was needed and
a larger house was purchased in 1942 at 868 South Fourteenth
East. This was their third home, and they lived there for about
twelve years. Again, they remodeled, painted, and fixed up. It was
a wonderful dark red brick house with white trim. It had a porch in
the front that Clayton later enclosed for a study, as well as a goodsized backyard with trees all around. There was also a clothesline
that Elizabeth used
to hang her
wash
on,
which their
children
swung from
at the end
of the poles.
Besides the
front door,
there was
a side entrance that
led into the
Bob, Helen, Elizabeth, Clayton, and Joan
kitchen and
then steps that led down into the basement in the back. The
basement was rather frightening to their children but also a fun
place to play.
They had a large green octopus-type coal furnace. The coal
would be delivered into the coal bin or the coal room. When

106

Clayton converted over to a more modern way of heating, the

furnace was removed, which made the room larger for Elizabeth to have her washer. The washer she used was first an oldfashioned wringer type washer where the rinse water would be
drained into large tubs and then a hose would go down into a
drain in the cement floor. Sometimes the drain could not hold
all of the water and it would come gushing out at the sides of the
drain. Their children would play a game to see if they could miss
getting wet as the water circle became bigger and bigger around.
Some years later, Clayton surprised Elizabeth with a new Bendix
washer, and the game ended. With the furnace gone, the coal
room was left vacant, so Clayton made it into a workroom or
shop where he would keep all of his tools. The walls were just
the bare wood, studs and all, but he had decorated it by painting
in bold white writing, Enjoy yourself, its later than you think
and Kilroy was here. At Christmas the children were not allowed to go into this room for he would be making wooden toys,
such as clothespin guns for the boys and a cradle for Gayle.

was. There were also French

doors that led out to an enclosed front porch, which
Clayton had converted into
a den.

Also, downstairs was a large wooden pole or floor brace

right in the middle of the floor. The children would have such
fun giggling and chasing each other around playing tag, youre
it. Despite the noise they surely made in play, her children do
not remember their mother doing much yelling telling them to
stop. She displayed the greatest amount of patience.

This Fourteenth East

home was within walking
distance to Douglas Elementary on Thirteenth East and
Seventh South, Roosevelt JuClayton and Elizabeth with
nior High School on Lincoln Carlos, David, Gayle and baby Doug
Street between Eighth and
Ninth South, and one block east of East High School. It was
also convenient to walk to church at Yale Ward on Gilmer Drive
and Fifteenth East.30 Amidst all their busy schedules, the family
found time for enjoyment through recreation and music. Sometimes they would take picnics up the mountains in Millcreek
Canyon or Big or Little Cottonwood Canyon. They also would
pack a picnic and go to Liberty and Fairmont Park. Sometimes
the family reunions were held there as well. Although Clayton
took piano lessons at the McCune School of Music, Elizabeth
played the piano by ear. She did take a few lessons in learning
various chords and scales that she could use with her interpretive method.

Part of the remodeling that was done at this home was to put
a bathroom and two bedrooms downstairs for the boys. When
two more boys joined the family, Robert and Daniel, it became
convenient for the older boys to be downstairs and the two little
boys and Gayle upstairs. Also upstairs was the kitchen, breakfast nook, bathroom, Elizabeth and Claytons bedroom, dining room, living room, and a small side room where the piano

While living at the Fourteenth East home the children were

taught how to deep clean the home. This took place in the spring
and in the fall and was a ritual of sorts. Aunt Joan and Aunt
Helen, Elizabeths sisters, came to help, too. The windows were
washed inside and out, the draperies were cleaned, the floors
scrubbed, and the children also wiped down the walls with a
wonderful sort of pink play-doh that worked very well to get the
107

Challenges for the Family

The family gathers for stories

soot off that came from the coal furnace.

Elizabeths sisters, Joan and Helen, went to high school at
East High at this time. It was very convenient for them to walk
up the hill to visit or sometimes to tend the children while Elizabeth would run some errands. Joan wrote, My nephews and
niece would cheer me, and Elizabeth never ever appeared to be
annoyed or too busy to listen. Often her replies were garbled,
with the diaper pins between her lips or sentences were left
hanging while she bandaged a thumb . . . sometimes, if I were
babysitting for the evening, Id still be jabbering away as they
prepared to leave, following her from room to room, while she
cared for the childrens needs, ironed a shirt for Clayt or applied
her own makeup.31

While living at the home on Fourteenth East, Elizabeth and

Claytons three oldest sons, Carlos, David, and Douglas, contracted the dreaded disease, polio. The polio episode happened
in February of 1948. This time will always stand out as one of
the defining life experiences for the Dunford family. Not only
was it unusual for three children from the same home to come
down with the illness at the same time, but also the unorthodox medical treatment administered by Dr. Tom Robinson was
unusual during this time as well. This time will be remembered
with much gratitude for the service, love, and faith of many
friends and family. It was a time when Clayton and Elizabeth
truly worked as a team as they cared for the needs of these three
little boys each day and night. They were so diligent, and they
persevered in all of the instructions given to them by Dr. Robinson. It was through great humility and fasting and prayer extended by many, many people that the healing for the boys was
called a miracle by the medical profession.
The other children who were not affected, Gayle, Robert,
and Dan, were sent out of the home to live with Aunt Marie Fox
Felt. The house was quarantined. Elizabeth had tried to keep it
quiet as it was her desire to keep the family protected from any
sensationalism, and also because her mother was city recorder for
Mayor Earl Glade. Unfortunately, a newspaper article appeared
which was rather upsetting to Elizabeth. It was a difficult time.
It was during this time that the example of faith and prayers were
etched into the minds of her children, who always remembered
the scripture that was so close to Elizabeths heart as she recited
it often: Trust in the Lord with all thy heart; and lean not unto
thine own understanding. In all of thy ways acknowledge Him,
and He will direct thy paths. (Proverbs 3:56)
108

caring for your every need, bringing food and water in just the
right amount, holding your heads to her bosom, rubbing your
backs and necks and legs and arms, reading stories endlessly to
you as you were gradually improving to make the hours a little
enjoyable. There was no TV in those days. I say she loved you
back to health. My part was one of support to your wonderful
Mother and together we had our prayers night and day asking for
Divine Assistance that you would live to honor Him and your

A year later, 3 February 1949, Elizabeth wrote some of her

thoughts:
Today, exactly a year ago, we are looking at our three boys. Carlos is getting chesty and putting on weight. We catch him flexing
his muscles before the mirror when he thinks we are not looking
and after school he helps his Dad in his shop, which gives him
pride in his achievements. David and Carlos play tennis together
during the summer using the very rackets they said theyd never
be able to use again. David plays baseball and football and enters
into all of the activities the school has to offer. He is busy teaching his younger brothers and sisters the art of tumbling at the
present time. Some people have warned us of the time when they
will fall, showing up a weakness for lack of medical care. But
to them we say, were perfectly sure we know what we saw before
our very eyes. We know the care they received did not just happen.
It was given deliberately with full recognition as to the results.
Many hours, days, weeks and months have been directed to the
study of Polio. Our children werent guinea pigs; they werent
just three more cases to be experimented upon, but were given
the kind of attention which comes from serious study, prayerful
action and courage. It was the combined efforts of this doctor,
Dr. Tom Robinson, and our Heavenly Father that is the reason
these boys are well again. Faith and works are not dead; this is
the cause that these boys can walk again.32

Carlos, David, Gayle, Doug, Rob, and Dan

Another comment from Clayton was written in 1970 (Elizabeth had already passed away). He wrote:

Dunford name. Our prayers were gratefully answered. Heavenly

Father was watching us for sure in those days of trial and guided
our every move. We thank Him. L. Clayton Dunford33

May I put a comment or two of my own on this page regarding

this traumatic event in our lives. It is now years and years later
(February 1970); Mother is gone. To her, you boys owe your
lives for it was she who watched and watched over you tenderly,

109

Church Activity

namely, a fine, wonderful husband whose every thought is for the

comfort and well being of his wife and children. Children who
are very good to their mother and dad, a fine home, luxuries of
every kind, friends and family, a beautiful and fine church, opportunities of every type to be hadso many, many blessings.
My greatest wish is that Ill magnify my calling that my husband
and children will truly be able to call me blessed, and that I
will have merited it!34

Elizabeth was always active in the Church and bore a strong

testimony. On a piece of note paper that was found, Elizabeth
wrote a list of her early Church assignments:
1936Married; drama director in Forest Dale Ward.
1937Carlos born; taught Gleaner Class; Clayt was M-Men
leader and coach. 1938Counselor to Effie Meeks, Activity
Counselor. 1939Was asked to be her counselor in Granite
Stake Boardcould not; David born in April. 1940Moved
to First Ward in April; the next September taught Gleaners for
1-1/2 years; Gayle also born in July 1942; in Stake Board;
Gleaners Supervisor. 194344Dougie born; moved to Yale
Ward; in September, taught in Primary for years. 194446
In September made counselor; president in December.
Other Church assignments were working in the Blazer Scout
program and also the Relief Society, where she could be found
teaching a class, preparing a meal for a family that needed help,
working on various projects to be sold at the Relief Society Bazaar, or just taking time to visit with someone who needed some
cheering up. The family learned very early that there was always room for one more, more water could be added to the
soup, and the more the merrier. Her philosophy was to be
selfless and to include everyone. She taught by her example that
she had faith and was devoted to the gospel of Jesus Christ in all
of her actions. She was humble and recognized that her greatest
blessings came from her Father in Heaven. In a note Elizabeth
stated:
I have been mightily blessedthe Lord has been very generous to
me and I wonder very often if Im worthy of so many blessings,

Elizabeth always encouraged her children to be faithful in

the Church, to accept and attend to all of their responsibilities.
When she was asked to talk in stake conference on 21 September 1969 by then stake president Russell M. Nelson (later an
Apostle), she did so humbly and was honored by the request.
Elizabeth remarked that her guideline throughout her life was
the Saviors admonition, I, the Lord, am bound when ye do
what I say; but when ye do not what I say, ye have no promise
(D&C 82:10).35 This was her last public speaking before she
passed away later on 1 December 1969. She supported the boys
in their priesthood assignments and was a great advocate of the
Scouting program. Clayton and two of her sons became Eagle
Scouts and her favorite calling in the Church was that of a Blazer
Scout leader. All of her boys served missions for The Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and most of the boys and girls
were college graduates. Hers was a quiet encouragement, but the
children knew very well what was expected of them.

The Emigration Canyon Cabin

After the polio episode, Roy Bitner, Elizabeths father,
was able to help Clayton purchase some property for a cabin

110

in Emigration Canyon. Because the Salk Vaccine had not been

discovered yet, it seemed important that the family be able to get
out of the city and up in the mountains for fresh air. Irma was
convinced that doing so would help the rest of the family to stay
healthy. It was a wonderful idea and many fond memories for
their children were created there. Elizabeth loved the solitude
and being able to have her children all in one place and yet still
for them to be able to explore. Though the cabin was roughly
finished to some degree, it still gave the children a place of security where Clayton and Elizabeth could concentrate on those
family matters that were most important in the upbringing of
their children. The children were taught to work hard before
play. Whether it was hauling rocks, sweeping the floors, pruning the pathways, or doing the dishes, it was all work but made
to be fun as it always ended in some kind of play. Sometimes
they would go on a hike up to the meadows, pack a lunch and
go exploring, play tag in the upstairs rafters and jump down on
the bed, chase butterflies and catch all kinds of insects, add to
a rock collection, paint on the walls in the upstairs bedrooms
(unfinished, of course), and then look forward to Clayton coming home and throwing Popsicles up to the children, who were
hanging out the upper story windows.

with precious memories.

Elizabeth had always been interested in health and care for
the body, but this desire for healthy living was probably accentuated by this polio episode. It was at this time that Elizabeth
focused on improved nutrition for her family. Her daughter
Gayle remembers becoming frustrated that they could never
or at least seldom have white bread rather than whole wheat.
Elizabeth had always fed them healthy meals, but there seemed
to be an increased emphasis as she would read and study about
good nutrition. They learned to eat homemade whole wheat cereal with lots of honey, but it still wasnt very good. They were
also given a spoonful of soaked wheat kernels and told to chew
it until the gluten was soft and chewy like gum. They all tried it,
but its doubtful that any one of them was convinced that this
was the best thing to have. Gayle still wanted the white Wonder
Bread that had the red, yellow and blue balloons on the white
wrapper.
When it came to healthy nutrition and living, Aunt Leah
Dunford Widtsoe (John A. Widtsoes wife, in whose home Claytons parents met) was not only a relative, but a great friend and
mentor in Elizabeths efforts. Elizabeth would talk to her for
long periods of time, and when Elizabeth was on the phone
it was a bad sign if her children needed immediate attention.
However, she had a way of helping them to learn patience as she
would pull them down to her lap and tickle their backs while she
was on the phone. The children loved it and sometimes would
scramble to see who could get to her lap first. When it came to
nutrition and health, however, Elizabeth was a master at finding
a cure or at least having her children try all kinds of concoctions.
Gloria, another daughter, wrote the following:

Clayton built a super swing that would extend way out over
the side of the mountain. He would always test it first before he
allowed his children to get on. It was a huge thrill and tickled
their stomachs. During the summer when the family would stay
up in their canyon home, they would attend church services at
the Burnetts, a neighbor family who had several children the
same age and a cabin that was located down the hill. Other families in the canyon were invited to participate and attend. Permission had been obtained from Church headquarters to serve the
sacrament. It was a wonderful time in the familys lives, filled
111

I dont know if it was better to be sick or healthy in Moms

house. If you werent sick and drinking honey and vinegar water,
you were drinking Tigers Milk to keep you healthy. Tigers
Milk was some kind of powdered drink mix that was filled
with vitamins, and enough Brewers yeast to keep you roaring
like a tiger. Mom would try to camouflage the flavor by putting
it in orange or grape juice, but it always tasted terrible. Throat
strangling Vitamin C tablets and a host of other vitamins were
also part of the daily regimen. Just chew it I can still hear her
say. Adele Davis Lets Eat Right to Stay Fit was Moms second Bible. If Mom ever made cookies, it was never with straight
refined carbohydratesthe cookies were always made with something nutritious like whole wheat flour, raisins, oatmeal and carob
chips. I think that the only other girl who suffered like we did in
the Dunford household was Louise Giles, whose mother Marjorie was a good friend of Moms.
There were never Twinkies and
such at the Giles home either
just more oatmeal raisin cookies.
Yogurt with papaya sauce was an
early health food and derits
made from carob powder were
candy. Once in awhile wed go
down to Sugarhouse to the health
food stores and pick up herbal
teas and such but the best thing
down there was licorice.36

More Memories of the

Fourteenth East Home

Holidays were always so much fun with the family. Most of

the time Elizabeths parents, Irma and Roy Bitner, were included as well as Joan and Helen, Elizabeths sisters. They also frequently spent time with the Toronto family, who were relatives of
Elizabeth. Christmas was especially fun, and one Christmas was
particularly memorable for their children. After starting with
the youngestwhoever was the baby at that timeand going
up to the oldest child and then on to Elizabeth and Clayton for
the opening of presents, this special Christmas it was particularly exciting to see a very large box that sat behind Elizabeths
rocker. When it was her turn to open up this box, all eyes were
upon her. The gift was from Clayton, and he had filled the box
with paper and with all kinds of little gifts wrapped up. They
were gifts that she would need for a new baby, including nighties, diapers, a new wrist watch, a box that was filled with diaper
pins hooked all together, and other
layette items. In the bottom of the
box was a picture of a dryer that was
to be delivered later. Elizabeth was
thrilled as tears trickled down her
cheeks. She had gone from a wringer
washer to a Bendix electric washer
and now she had a dryer also. That
meant that she didnt have to hang
the diapers outside on the line if she
didnt want to. She was overjoyed.
Clayton was so thoughtful as usual
in his gift giving to Elizabeth.

Elizabeth with her grandshildren, 1971

112

Clayton and Elizabeth loved the

backyard, and many times the family enjoyed sitting out and watching the beautiful sunsets. They both

shared an interest in the flowers that were planted, especially in

Claytons rose bushes. It was his habit to many times bring in a
bouquet of flowers to her, but his real specialty was a single rose
that he had picked out from all the rest. He would put it in a vase
or just a glass of water if she wasnt nearby. But she was always
thrilled with his thoughtfulness and romantic ways, and he was
always rewarded with a kiss and a hug.

at the gas station and brought home, it took up a good part of

their backyard. It had to be anchored down somehow so that it
wouldnt roll away. The idea of the fun was to jump on it, roll
on it, roll under it, roll over it, and get booted off the one end if
the other kids jumped on the other end. It was very fun for the
family as well as for friends in the entire neighborhood, including friends they didnt even know. Clayton and Elizabeth were
masters in the creating of great memories. They were supportive
of each other when it came to letting the kids have fun.

For their children, there was never a question in any their

minds that Clayton loved Elizabeth and Elizabeth loved Clayton. They were so connected, but they did have differences of
opinion. One such difference was allowing the children to make
little canals for the little boats to run down the gardens on the
side of the house. Elizabeth used to do this when she was a child
and allowed the children to do the same. They had a wonderful
time making little villages and streams in and among the plants
and flowers and learned how to make hollyhock dolls and float
them down the streams as well. When Clayton came home, if he
saw that the hose was out, he would discover to his dismay that
his children were either floating little boats down the edge of the
garden bed, having a water fight, spraying the windows of the
neighbors (Gunnells) and their own windows, too, or chasing after the dog, Patter, to spray him as well. And Elizabeth allowed
it, up to a point.

A neighbor, Mr. Kipp, had several beehives in the field next

door. The children always kept a close watch on them and were
careful not to disturb the hives. As presumably most of the children had the experience of getting stung at least once, Elizabeth taught them to put water in the dirt, even using saliva, if
necessary, and make a paste to put on the wound, a remedy that
even the pioneers probably used. As the boys got older, they
would sell the honeycombs door-to-door to all the neighbors.
While they probably didnt make much money from this experience, Elizabeth was always enthusiastic for their efforts. They
also sold lemonade on the corner of Fourteenth East and Ninth
South. Elizabeth would mix up the drink if the children would
squeeze the lemons.
Elizabeth was always her familys greatest cheerleader and
supporter as long as it was safe, nothing was being damaged,
and they were getting along.The Fourteenth East home was a
great place for their children to grow up. It was at this home that
Elizabeth and Claytons children were able to really watch Elizabeth in action as to the excellence in her homemaking skills. All
the children had chores to do such as dusting, cleaning the table,
ironing pillowcases and handkerchiefs, sweeping the floor, or
wiping the dishes. Elizabeth always wore a housedress and an

Another great memory was when Clayton and the boys

brought home a very large pontoon, which is a sort of boat that
they used in World War II. Several of them were tied together
to make a bridge over a river. There were probably many uses
for them during the war, but undoubtedly the use it acquired in
the Dunford home was not one of its original purposes. Clayton
bought it at the Army Surplus Store, and it was shaped like a
giant hot dog and bright yellow in color. When it was blown up
113

apron and sometimes would put her hair up and tie a ribbon in
it. She always would wash her hands and face and put lipstick
on just before Clayton would come home. They always, always
greeted each other with a kiss.
Elizabeth let her girls learn how to bottle fruit such as cherries, peaches, pears, and apricots. She was a great cook. One
of her specialties was a dish called goulash, where she would
brown hamburger, put tomato soup in, carrots, corn, or beans
(or all three) and then extend it with macaroni. After seasoning
it with salt and pepper, it made a great dish and could feed lots
of people. Other specialty dishes were meatloaf, peppermint ice
cream frozen dessert, whole wheat pancakes and honey, scrambled eggs with a green vegetable salad on top (this was a family
recipe), peanut butter and tomato sandwiches, cooked oatmeal
for breakfast, and sometimes wheat hearts. They were always
nutritious, and there was always plenty to eat. If they ever got
cookies from the bakery, they were always the broken ones or
the ones that didnt quite turn out right.
T hei r
Sunday
dinner
was
always special because the
family
would eat
in the dining room.
The table
was
set

All the family about to enjoy one of Elizabeths Thanksgiving dinners

with the best china and silver goblets or other nice glasses. They
usually had a lace tablecloth with a pad underneath. They learned
very early that the best table manners were to be used when they
ate in this room. The family would kneel for prayer by their
chairs, and Clayton would usually say the Sunday prayer and
blessing on the food. Then Elizabeth and Gayle would bring in
the bowls of food to be served. They always had to be given to
Clayton first where he started to pass them around, which was
one of Elizabeths ways of recognizing and showing respect for
Clayton as the priesthood holder and head of the home. She was
a great example in teaching the children to have good manners,
not only during mealtime, but in general having respect for others, even to siblings. She would say, Your husband will only be
as great as you think he is. They all knew how much love and
respect Clayton and Elizabeth had for each other throughout
their lives and whatever the problems or circumstance.
There were other ways that Clayton and Elizabeth expressed their feelings for each other. Elizabeth would make a
snack for Clayton of apples, cheese, and crackers and take it to
him while he was in his den. Sometimes one of the children
was asked to do the errand, and Clayton always thanked them,
which helped them learn early the warm feeling of having done
something good. Clayton and Elizabeth would leave messages
for each other that were written on the mirror in the bathroom
with soap. Clayton usually left for work early, while Elizabeth
was still sleeping. This was a good way for them to stay connected. Their children loved to see the note that one or the other had written. Clayton would also leave little notes around the
house for her to find during the day. Sometimes she would find
a couple of dollars attached with the note for her to spend on
herself. Elizabeth would often tuck a love note in his sack lunch
to be enjoyed later in the day.
114

two Foresman wool suits that were gorgeous and at that time
[1948] cost the incredible fortune of over $100 each. They were
on sale for $22.50. That seemed like a lot of money, too, but
that was a real fantastic bargain.

Elizabeth was always generous with her time when it came

to others. Even though the demand of having six children at this
time was great, many times she would stop what she was doing
to help others. She would take meals in to a neighbor that was
in need, tend their children, help out with somebodys ironing,
or just sit down in the living room or at the kitchen table to talk.
One particularly meaningful act of service that she performed
was for a friend, Betty Bates, who was blind. Elizabeth would
take Betty down to the Blind Center each week or several times
a week and wait for her to get help. She was learning the Braille
system of reading. Betty on many occasions expressed her appreciation for this selfless act; it seemed that Elizabeth knew the
best way to serve in any situation.

And Elizabeth just sort of casually said, You dont have to

choose between the two - youre taking both of them. Furthermore, youre taking that dress, and youre taking those underclothes, and youre taking this and youre taking that.
And I said, Elizabeth, have you gone crazy? Have you lost
your mind? And she said, No, I dont believe I have. And I
asked, Whos going to pay for this? and she said, Mother,
and she got on the telephone to Mother at her office and said shed
charged this and this and this to her account and the total comes
to this and so Ill see you tomorrow, Bye.

Some additional examples of Elizabeths caring for others

are seen in these incidents related by her sister, Joan Bitner Bennett in an interview taped 25 years ago:

I sat there with my mouth open, terrified, and asked, Elizabeth, how can you do that? and she said, You only get married
once and you deserve this. Theres no problem and so dont worry
about it another minute. And I knew she was having a ball
spending Mothers money

Elizabeth was very supportive of me when I was going to get

married. Not only when and how to arrange things, but what
was going to be done. Of course, Clayton insisted on making our
wedding cake. I thought it was the most beautiful cake in the
whole wide world.

This was one high moment where Elizabeth was acknowledging

the fact that this was my time and my turn and that I could do
just what I pleased right then. That was fun. We walked out of
there with all those boxes and all those clothes and I couldnt
believe it. I felt like some kind of princess or something37

Elizabeth said, Well, you need some clothes. And I did. I

didnt grow up with very many clothes. So we went down to
ZCMI or Auerbachs I dont remember which - and they were
having a sale. I was looking at some clothes and Elizabeth was
laughing and I was laughing, only I wasnt buying anything, I
was just looking at everything. It came time when we had to go
and I couldnt make up my mind. She said, You have to have a
going away suit. You absolutely have to.

Joan relates another incident in the same interview:

It was important that Elizabeth was there for the birth of my
first child, and it was important that she was there for the birth
of my last child. I had a very difficult time with my last delivery.
They gave me a total injection rather than the drip. Elizabeth

I said, I cant make up my mind between these two. They were

115

was with me and sent Don out. For that hour of hard labor,
which Elizabeth said in all of her nine deliveries she had never
seen anything like that; I think Id have died if she hadnt been
there.[A long pause here to control her emotions.] There is a lot
that I feel grateful to her for. With her nine children, she always
had time for meElizabeth was a very important model to me
in my life, and one of the reasons I think that I chose to enjoy
the young period of our childrens lives.38
Elizabeth got a new sewing machine while the family
was living at this home on Fourteenth East. She had been using
an old Singer sewing machine, and Clayton encouraged her to
get a Pfaff. She sewed beautifullyeverything from curtains, tablecloths, Raggedy Ann dolls and others, to pajamas, swimming
suits, summer play clothes, t-shirts, and dresses. Clayton was so
proud of her work and took every opportunity to show his interest and compliment her on all of her efforts. They were truly each
others cheerleader. One of
her great projects was when
she sewed six
identical shirts
for all of the
children, five
boys and one
girl. She had
plans for them
to wear Levis
and these shirts
to a Dunford
family reunion
Elizabeth at her sewing machine
that was held

at Bear Lake during the summer of 1949.

She had also put new words to the University of Utah fight
song (the tune, Solomon Levi). The family practiced and
practiced for that event.39

DUNFORD FAMILY CLAN SONG

We are a Dunford family,

Our dear old Dad is Clayt.
Elizabeth, our dearest Mom,
She surely is first rate.
Were very proud and happy to
Belong to this fine clan.
The Lord was surely generous
To include us in His plan.

CHORUS:
Oh, you Dunfords, what a fam-i-ly.
Oh, you Dunfords, youre as good as you can be.
We love you all, were proud of you.
Come one, keep up the work,
Therell be no end to the family tree.
Hurry up now, dont you shirk!
I am Carlos; David is my name;
Virginia Gayle is what Im called,
The last name is the same.
My name is Doug or Douglas B.,
My name is Robert Roy

(all point to baby)

His name is Daniel Bitner D

He is the baby boy!40

(CHORUS)

Many years later, Carolyn and Gloria wrote the third verse to
include the next three children that they had:

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There are three more, lets not forget,

Carolyn, Gloria, and John.

kitchen and laundry room were located. It worked out perfectly,

and they even added two more children, Gloria and John. It also
had three bathrooms, five bedrooms, a family room, and lots of
space to chase around in.

Without these three, were not complete

Of them we are so fond.

So gather round and give a cheer

For whether near or far,

Our parents said to all of us

Remember Who You Are!41

(CHORUS)

It had a great backyard which was large enough for Clayton

to have a vegetable garden and a patio. The house was located
right next to Laird Park, so all the children had to do was to
jump the chain link fence, and they were ready to play baseball, right at home base. The park attracted lots of friends, and
each of the children had their share. It was a great family home
in a great areaclose to Bonneville Grade School and Clayton
Junior High and although not too close to East High but still
within walking distance if a ride was not available. Elizabeth and
Clayton were thrilled! It was a great accomplishment, and they
felt that they could have lived there forever.

Fourth Family Hom

In this new location, Clayton and Elizabeth again planned

a wonderful yard with beautiful bushes, trees, and flower gardens. Clayton put in the sprinkling system, the boys helped, and
Elizabeth provided lots of snacks and water during all of their
hard work. One of the best things in the yard was a swing set
that the kids could play on. It was pretty heavy duty and could
hold lots of kids at the same time. Adults could even swing on
it, and sometimes Elizabeth and Clayton would take a moment
to swing and talk. There were many things for the children to
do in this neighborhood: ride bikes, roller skate, play games in
the park, play football, and whatever else an active family could
think of. It was truly a wonderful family home in a great neighborhood.

Home at 1835 Laird Avenue

Carolyn, the third youngest, was a year old when the family
needed to make another move. In 1952, Roy Bitner, Elizabeths
father, encouraged Clayton and Elizabeth to look at a newly built
home at 1835 Laird Avenue. The home was nearly perfect and
close to their dream home. It was large enough for the whole
family with big picture windows in the front and a great floor
plan. Because of so many children, Elizabeth felt that it was important to be able to close off the front part of the homethe
entrance, living room, and dining roomand still be able to
carry on with family activities in the back of the house where the

Elizabeth was happy in this home. But she was happy wherever she was. She was very optimistic and upbeat, especially as

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long as she had her husband and her children nearby. Sometimes
she would sing or hum while she worked around the house doing her chores, taking time to bandage a finger, wipe a childs
nose, console hurt feelings, or just sit down at the kitchen table
to give someone the time to talk. She was a master at helping a
person get the full picture of a problem, giving ideas for change,
and challenging you to do better next time. Many lessons
were learned during the times when she would give a person her
full attention, but most lessons were learned just by her example
and the way that she lived.

Elizabeth was always happy and cheerful and had a lot of

friends; she made friends easily as people loved to be with her.
Some of her closest friends were from high school, and they had
a study group together. She belonged to a book club as well.
Some of her neighborhood friends were Marjorie Giles, Margaret Bowen, Joyce Slusser, Evelyn Koplin, and Eva Nielson. She
also kept in contact with many friends on the phone. The children always knew that when she was on the phonethe conversation would be longer than a minute or two. Elizabeth was very
creative and enjoyed other hobbies as well.

Elizabeth and Clayton tried to teach all of their children the

importance of picking up after themselves, implementing the
theory that many hands make light work. They had tried many
things to help them apply this kind of discipline in their familys
lives, and it must have been especially challenging for Elizabeth
because of the size of the family. Each of the children had a box
with his or her name on it so that when the laundry was done,
each could take the box and put his or her things away. Another
idea they had was very clever. Clayton brought one of the large
barrels home from the bakery and washed it out and placed it
downstairs near the bedrooms. The idea was that the children
could keep their clothes picked up by tossing them into this barrel. When they wanted their clothes back, they would have to
go down to the bottom of the barrel, thus discouraging them
from not putting their clothes away properly. The idea worked
fine until the children discovered a better use for the barrel:
they tipped the barrel on its side and emptied all of the clothes
out on the floor. They then would take turns rolling each other
around, laughing and giggling with delight. The one inside was
cautioned to not get any fingers pinched as he or she held onto
the rim.

One of her early creations was when she had to make the
centerpieces for a ward Christmas dinner. She found tumbleweeds and sprayed them with white and silver paint and then
sprinkled silver glitter on them. Then she hung ornaments on
each of the little bushes and placed them in the center of the
tables. It was such a wonderful idea and looked so pretty even on
the limited Church budget. Other hobbies and leisure activities
included tinting photographs, ceramics, gold leafing, sewing,
knitting, crocheting, needlepoint, and making plaster of Paris
molds for her Scouts. Toward the end of her life, she purchased
a knitting machine that she really enjoyed. One year she even
knitted a brown vest for Clayton that he wore proudly.
Her ability to connect with people extended to others outside the neighborhood as well as in the community. Elizabeth
and Clayton were active in the Bonneville Knife and Fork Club
where they enjoyed evenings of dinner and listening to various
speakers. She was an active member of the Daughters of the
Utah Pioneers organization. She also had a leadership responsibility as secretary of this organization. She also enjoyed the
friendship of other women while being a member of the Pi Kappa Alpha Mothers Club, of which she was one of the officers. At
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one point she was asked to give a talk on family traditions and
their importance in a familys life.42

of pages of her basic life history. Another interesting record of

her life was her Seven Star Diary, in which she took notes on
her thoughts, activities, teaching
ideas, gifts for friends and family, inspirational thoughts, goals
for her Blazer Scouts, and new
insights about health issues.44 She
also enjoyed reading and studying
about various subjects of interest
and would want to share them
with family and friends.

Elizabeth was truly everybodys friend. Her greatest friend,

however, was her husband, with whom she shared so many common interests. When Clayton decided to go into the baking business, she was supportive of him in his career. He would leave
early for work and return home late. Elizabeth had the majority
of the responsibility of caring for the children, but she was also
involved in helping out occasionally at the bakery. She would put
up orders, clerk in the front of the store, and generally perform
whatever help was needed. Elizabeth was a great influence in
helping the partners work together in harmony. She played an
encouraging and supportive role in the family baking business.
When Clayton was the bishop of the Yalecrest Second Ward, it
was Elizabeths idea to start a friendship basket that would go
from neighbor to neighbor. The idea was that upon receiving
the basket filled with goodies, that person who received it would
pass it on to someone else filled with new treats.43 This was to be
done anonymously to add to the element of surprise. This idea
was a great way to express love and friendship in a neighborhood
and was not exclusive to members of the Church; a cute note in
rhyme was also included so that neighbors who were not LDS
could enjoy the fun and friendship.

Elizabeth was always interested in taking off a few pounds, and

she tried several mechanical devices. One was a lounge chair that
had a vibrator in the back. Its not
certain that it was very successful
with weight loss, but her children
Elizabeth, 1968
sure had fun trying it out. Another
machine was kept in her bedroom by the side of the bed on the
nightstand. It was a very mysterious-looking thing with lots of
dials and wires coming out. There were two round pads that
were moistened with water. The pads were then strapped onto
the body where the concentration of fat was. The control dials were then turned on where one could feel a sort of vibration or pounding on the body location. The idea was that this
procedure would help break down the fat tissues. The machine
was designed to make the muscles contract, and by changing the
dials one could increase or decrease the speed and intensity of
the contractions. The stronger and faster the contractions, the
more weight you would lose. The children had fun with this

Elizabeth in Person
Elizabeth did not keep much of a journal. However, she did
write in Claytons journal occasionally. She was good at telling
about the changes and challenges pertaining to the children
and also recording their cute sayings. She also drafted a couple

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machine, too.
Elizabeth was always a pretty woman, but to her children
she was just Mom, a little overweight, with soft and beautiful
clear skin. Her hands and fingers were always manicured, and
she put a coat of mauve polish on her nails. She was meticulous in her cleanliness and didnt wear a lot of makeupa little
rouge, lipstick, and eyebrow pencil. She always wore her hair
short. She started to go gray rather early in her life with one
beautiful streak of white going through the bangs on her forehead. She later tinted her hair and then eventually got a wig that
was very popular during that time. She didnt wear pants often
and instead wore mostly housedresses. In her early married life,
she would wear aprons over the housedresses. She made a lot of
her everyday dresses and then occasional Sunday ones. She also
wore knit suits that were very popular and stylish and considered
to be a very nice outfit. The outfits were matched with shoes
that she kept in the original box on the top shelf of her closet.
She loved to wear very nice costume jewelry that matched her
clothes. Her children were always very proud of the way she
looked. Even when she wore grubbies while working at the
cabin, she looked nice with lipstick on and sometimes a ribbon
in her hair. She truly followed the old adage that any old barn
looks better if its painted.

would go to the little deli counter between the first and second floor and order nut bread with cream cheese. At ZCMI,
sometimes the children would meet Elizabeths mother there
and have lunch in the Tiffin Room. That was always a treat and
a special tradition.
Helen remembers Elizabeths many wonderful qualities in
this way:
She was endlessly patient and kind. She gave you her undivided
attention when you were talking to her. And she had a delightfully spontaneous sense of humor. She had something called a
light touch with people. I noticed it with her children. She was
so much lighter and easier with her children than other parents I
knew. And she truly did enjoy them. We all had a good share
of freedom because our mother was so preoccupied with her various projects. But Elizabeths gentle and indulgent rearing of her
children came from a regard for their individuality and her deep
love for each of them.45
Elizabeths influence for good was felt outside of her
family, as well. Robert M. Lee, a less-active member of the LDS
Church, recalls the following in his autobiography:
I recall only one other powerful religious experience of a positive
nature. It was a talk given in the Yalecrest Ward by Elizabeth
Dunford, the bishops wife. She had been ill for several years
with cancer. She still appeared in reasonably good health but it
was known, I believe, that she had only a short time to live. I
remember no details of the talk. It was a description of what
the LDS Church meant to her as a wife and a mother. It was
simple, no tear jerking, no drama, but it was so sincere, so honest, that I was moved more towards the church by it than by all

Elizabeth liked to shop and to get in on the sales. She had

such a large family that it was very common for the children
to have clothes that were several sizes too big, given with the
comment of Its all right, youll grow into it. Presumably this
was rather a common philosophy for those that lived during the
Depression. Some of her favorite stores were Auerbachs, Paris,
ZCMI, Sears, JC Penney, Makoffs and especially The Yard Stick,
which was a fabric store. When she shopped at Auerbachs, she
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the preaching put together that I had heard before. There was no
mystical experience, no opening of the doors to heaven, only the
power of a good womans faith, simply expressed.46

atrical paints and hair. If the eggs werent broken before leaving
for home, the children could take them home.
Halloween was also a favorite holiday and fun for the family.
Elizabeth and Clayton always made sure that the kids were taken
over to their grandparents to trick or treat. Their costumes were
homemade or just put together with whatever they had. Storepurchased ones were not available at that time. On some Halloweens, Clayton would dress up as a witch with a black cape
that Elizabeth had made and a hat. He would build a fire at
home base over at the park next door and make a brew up of
some sorts. It was sometimes filled with rather unpleasant-looking foods, like the time when he put cut up Vienna sausages in
some sort of tomato sauce and then put them in little buns that
he brought home from the bakery. He also gave out donuts at
times. The family thought it was great to gather in the park and
have their Halloween fun.

Holidays
It seemed as though Elizabeth made every holiday special.
On Valentines Day, the family would sometimes make cookies
and ice them, and each child was given great support as they
made Valentine boxes to take to school. They gathered around
the kitchen table, and she helped with ideas. She was prepared,
having earlier purchased the necessary supplies of crepe paper,
stickers, construction paper, glue, and paper lace doilies. It was
always quite an event and always a surprise to see how well they
turned out.
The tradition for pinch day, or St. Patricks Day, was to
have their cereal tinted green or to at least pour green milk over
it. The children didnt dare even come to breakfast without first
putting on green clothing for fear of getting pinched by their
brothers and sisters. Easter was always made more special by egg
coloring contests and then, of course, the traditional egg roll
that took place in the living room. The breadboard was used to
lean up against the couch, and each person would take a turn to
see whose egg traveled the farthest. Only once or twice did the
family go to an outside hill to have this family egg roll, probably up at the Utah Capitol or over to Elizabeths parents house,
where they had a hill in the front of their home on Twelfth East.
The Dunford family also usually had Easter and Thanksgiving
dinner with them. Their Grandma Bitner would hollow eggs out
by blowing out the yolk and then decorating them with her the-

Another memory that the children recalled about the park

occurred during one winter. Elizabeth took on a dare from the
kids and drove through the park and made donuts all around.
They were delighted to think that she would accept the dare,
but she did, and the children had a lot of fun. Its doubtful that
Clayton thought that it was such a good idea, however.
Christmases were always the most magical time, and Elizabeth and Clayton made them so. It was their favorite time of
year. The family would shop around for a good buy on a tree and
one year even got a special permit and climbed up the mountain
to cut their own. They tried to get the one that was most perfectly shaped, but even if it wasnt, Dad knew how to drill a hole
in the trunk and take a branch from the bottom of the tree and
graft it in the open space. It always looked nice when it was all

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decorated. The children were taught to hang the icicles straight

down so that they were not touching another branch, but theyd
still throw them up on the tree when they got too tired and Elizabeth and Clayton were not looking. The tree was usually put up
around Claytons birthday on December 16. Other decorations
were also a tradition, such as the making of a gingerbread house,
sometimes painting the living and dining room windows with a
beautiful winter or Christmas scene, decorating the mantle with
angel hair or cotton and putting candles and pinecones around.

she was very considerate in allowing them to feel their own accomplishment of a job that was well done. One year Clayton had
brought home gingerbread boys, and Elizabeth thought it would
be a fun idea to share them with the garbage men that collected
their trash. They quickly put the cookies out on the tops of the
cans, hoping that they would notice them before they threw the
garbage in the truck. Then the children ran inside and crouched
down underneath the dining room windows and watched them.
They were so pleased to see that they had found them and turned
to wave as a thank you for the fun surprise.
Another activity that Elizabeth and Clayton enjoyed together
while Clayton was the bishop was to go around in their matching striped nightshirts on Christmas Eve and jingle the bells that
Clayton had hanging from his shoulder. They had their nightcaps on and bundled up with a sweater and would knock on
the windows and doors, getting the children even more excited,
and encouraged them to get to bed. Along with Elizabeth and
Clayton dressing up in their striped flannel nightshirts, Clayton
would also bring his puppet friends out, Jocko the monkey and
Fifi the flea, and give a show of the tricks that they could do. It
was wonderful and each year the children looked forward to this
special event.

Elizabeth with David and Janet and their boys, 1968

They also would make a village on the top of the piano using
cans to make the hills and then put lights underneath that would
shine through the cotton. A wreath of different kinds was always on the front door, and the dining room table would have a
nice Christmas centerpiece. Elizabeth would help the children
do all the decorating, and most of the time what they did stood;

Christmas Eve was also a tradition as the family read The

Littlest Angel and then the Christmas story from the Bible.
Elizabeth made certain that they had a special snack to put out
for Santa along with a note of good cheer. The stockings were
hung, nametags were made and pinned onto the designated
chairs for each family member, and then after prayers and a
goodnight, they all went to sleep.
The children would wake up early, much too early for Eliza-

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beth and Clayton. Clayton would pretend to be too tired and

everyone would have to be dressed before they could line up
according to age and run into the room. Clayton also would go
in and check to see if Santa had come. He would light the fire,
turn on the music, and whoop n holler all the way. When
he came out, the children were ready to run, each to their own
chair with their name on it. Such fun and excitement! The opening of presents was also done according to age, starting with
the youngest child first. Of course, by the time Elizabeth and
Clayton were ready to open up their gifts the children were all
so busy that they didnt have much of an audience. However, the
Christmas that they had all gotten together to save their money
in the hopes that it would help their parents go on a vacation to
Hawaii, they had all the childrens attention. They had decorated
a small Christmas tree and put red balls on it with their names in
white writing and the amount that each child had saved. Clayton
and Elizabeth were so surprised, and the children were pleased
that they had been able to keep it a secret.

as on the rest of the family. However, despite the uncertainties

of cancer, Clayton looked to Heavenly Father in his sorrow and
anxiety. On 31 December 1967, after Elizabeth had returned
home from the hospital, he recorded the following:
December 31, 1967Fast Daya most appropriate day.
The last day of the year. Thankful for blessings unmeasured
and grateful for challenges and opportunities. Family and friends
warm and cherished. Church vital to our lives and important
influence in our activities. God is in His heaven and He should
be in our hearts. I testify to His goodness and His Church is
truetrue, true. We only need to show our faith by living its
precepts. Happiness and joy can be ours if our lives will conform
to His teachings. The promises of the Priesthood are ours if we
are faithful to the end.48
Such a strong and enduring testimony undoubtedly helped
carry him and his family through these challenges.
The following year, Elizabeths improvement was sporadic, and in May 1969 she went in again for another operation.
After a good recovery, the summer months were spent busily
and without complaint of any problems, although, of course, she
rarely complained even when she was feeling ill. However, in
November, Clayton had to take Elizabeth back to the hospital.
Another journal entry stated these tender expressions of his love
and concern:

Her Final Years

In September of 1967, Clayton had to take Elizabeth to
the hospital for some severe stomach pains. She stayed in the
hospital for a few weeks and was diagnosed with colon cancer.
After a first operation on 16 September 1967 during which an
obstruction was removed from her bowels, a second operation
took place on September 29 to remove her suspected malignancy in her colon.47 This ordeal was very trying on Clayton,
who recorded in his journal on one particular occasion, Missed
Elizabeth terribly and on another, How I long to hold her
in my arms. I miss her at home, especially at night. To a man
and woman who were each others dearest love and companion,
Elizabeths illness certainly took its toll on both of them, as well

Elizabeth has not been feeling very well of late. Still no complaints to me, but I can tell something is wrong. . . . What if ?!
We had long ago decided we had had a good life together. What

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would we do to change it? Nothing! We counted our blessings

daily and thanked God for His goodness to us. Our nightly
prayers were a confession of our imperfections and a plea to help
us do better. As I knelt by her side, arm in arm, heads bowed
and often touching lightly, her soft voice was pleading yet strong
in the faith; her words of devotion to Him always sustained me,
too.

Bitner Dunford passed away at the age of fifty-five. One of her

sons wrote of her death in his journal:
After letting Aunt Mary, Aunt Helen, and Uncle Bob be with
her for a while, we again surrounded her bed while Dad told of
the love and devotion he felt for her. He told us that children
brought unnumbered joys and blessings to them, but that the
greatest blessing a man could have was the relationship and love
between a man and his wife. And then he wept. To give our
tearful hearts condolence, he read from Doctrine and Covenants
Section 42:44-47: And the Elders of the Church, two or more,
shall be called, and shall pray for and lay their hands upon
them in my name; and if they die they shall die unto me, and
if they live they shall live unto me. Thou shalt live together in
love, insomuch that thou shalt weep for the loss of them that die,
and more especially for those that have not a hope of a glorious
resurrection. And it shall come to pass that those that die in me
shall not taste of death, for it shall be sweet unto them; and they
that die not in me, woe unto them, for their death is bitter. We
know that Mothers death was sweet, taking her while sleeping
and releasing her from the pains of her body. She was so good
to us, supporting and standing by us in all our problems and
triumphs.50

What if ?perish the thought!

Our family was growing; our sons and daughters had married
wellall in the Temple. They had fulfilled honorable missions
for the Church in all parts of the world. They had or were
getting their college educations. They had good jobs with bright
futures and remained firm in their Church commitments. Our
grandchildren were beginning to bless their homes.
My work had provided a comfortable home and good standing
in the community. Our friends were steadfast and many. The
Church had provided much opportunity for vigorous serviceand
we were not through yet! Why should we change anythingeven
if we could? There was no reason at all. We were happy together; we understood one another; we had complete faith in the
other. Thirty-two years of married life and thirty-eight years of
courtship had made us as one. Love had made our happy home
a heaven.49
During her stay of two weeks in the hospital under the
loving and capable care of her brother, Dr. Robert Bitner, Elizabeths health continued to worsen, and her loved ones prayed for
her pain to be eased with her passing. Clayton, who was serving
as bishop of the Yalecrest Second Ward, put aside his duties to
care for her in her last days. On 1 December 1969, Elizabeth

On 3 December 1969, the day of Elizabeths funeral, Clayton

wrote a beautiful and tender love letter to his wife. In spite of his
immense grief at his beloveds passing, this letter expressed his
faith in the eternal nature of their relationship, one that would
surpass the troubles and grief of mortality and extend into the
eternities beyond.

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My Darling Elizabeth:

ille Stake Conference, September 21, 1969, just ten weeks before
her passing. It describes the wonderfulrealization of following
her guideline,the Lords admonition, I, the Lord, am bound
when ye do what I say; but when ye do not what I say, ye have no
promise. (Doctrine and Covenants, Section 82:10)

My very last love letter to you in this life. We lay you in

Mother Earth this afternoon from whence this body comes and
is now to be returned. Your Spirit has already been received in
Paradise and what a glorious reunion that must be with Dad
and Mother Bitner and Dad and Mother Dunford. I wish I
were there with you, but the Lord wants me to tarry a little while
longer. Ill be with you as soon as I am beckoned. What joy!
What happiness! Then we can continue in our Fathers (and
Mothers) plan for us. I humbly pray and know this will come to
pass. Please give my love to all there with you.

My dear Brothers and Sisters:

I feel very humble but honored to fill this assignment.
My family was so thrilled to have me do this, they
presented this beautiful orchid to me, and so for their
sake, I pray that I might say something that will touch
someones heart and need.

I love you with all the eternal fibers of my soul and I want
you to know that I know you return in full measure to overflowing this same love for me. Thank you, My Love. Our spirits
and our eternal bodies will be united again as the one we have
been here. I do thank God for His blessing unto me for giving
me you that we may share one another for all the eternities to
come.

The spirit of the Lord has been felt by us all, and as I

look at the brethren in such numbers, I see the greatest
power given to man is represented here. And thats
what Id like to talk about. Id like to tell you how the
Priesthood has walked by my side and blessed me all the
days of my life.

Good night, my Darling; and good morning, too. May you

have the peace that only Father and Mother reserve for the very
most valiant. Well done, Elizabeth, my daughter. Come unto
me and I will give you rest.

As a premature 2lbs. 14oz. baby, to this moment, this

great gift has been shared with me. My wonderful dad
laid his hands on my head at birth and asked the Lord
to permit me to live if it was His will. Later he was
joined by the elders in the ward to give me a name and a
blessing; naming me after my little pioneer grandmother
whose parents had heard the gospel from young men
with this authority.

Your loving husband, Clayton51

Summary of Elizabeth Bitner Dunfords Life

Perhaps the best summary of Elizabeth Bitner Dunfords
life can be found in her own words from a talk given in Bonnev-

The most magic time of my life was when I wooed

and won my husband, Clayton. It took me about 5

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years and we had a few ups and downs, but you know
he didnt ever really have a chance, because I had the
Lord on my side. We met in Bro. Frank McGhies
theology class, and did we love that man, and how
he made the Gospel live! Wellafter each date, Id
thank my Heavenly Father for the friendship of such a
clean young man, and ask Him to direct our friendship
in the way that would be pleasing to all of us. You
know that were told to pray in all of incomings and
outgoings. Including Him in all of your plans will just
amaze you to see how the door is opened to solve you
problems. But you must do your part too. Remember
that the most successful venture is a partnership with
God.
This radio set called prayer
Is, designed for remarkably simple repair.
When the lines fail there is no doubt
Which half of the set is out?

authority of the holy Melchizedek Priesthood, we were

husband and wife for time and all eternity. What an
example of wisdom, love and virtue this great man has
been to us all. With his wife, they have set the pattern
for us all to follow. Who needs to wonder what to do?
A few years after we were married, about 6 children
later, as we were taking our seats in the University of
Utah stadium, I saw Pres. David O. McKay sitting about
two empty seats to my right. He was with his family.
When I caught his eye, I said, Pres. McKay, you may
not remember us, but you officiated at our marriage.
He smiled and said, You bet I doI was wondering
when youd say hello. Then Clayton, who just
happened to have a family picture in his wallet, showed
it to him and said that this was what he told us to do,
and we were doing the best we could. He seemed very
pleased and showed the picture to his family. And as
the game started I remember how much he enjoyed the
game, shouting right along with the rest of us when
there was a touchdown.

But getting back to Clayton. After a few years, I told

him how hard the Lord and I had worked. He was very
surprised because he said he thought he had been doing
all the pursuing. So any of you young men who might
have a young lady praying over you, watch out.

My story isnt very different than any of yours. I was

born and reared in the shelter of the church. My loving
parents were devoted to the church all their lives. A
sister and a brother filled honorable missions. My life
has been touched by men and women who left their
impression for good.

That glorious morning in the Temple arrived. As our

beloved prophet David O. McKay stood before us and
told us of the blessings and promises that would be
ours, he stopped as the tears flowed down my cheeks
and Clayton looking at me with love in his eyes and
a plea for me to stop my crying, I gathered myself
together and heard those beautiful words that with the

The scripture, I the Lord am bound when ye do as

I say, but if ye do not as I say, ye have no promise,
is one that has been my guideline. I lean very heavily

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on this promise. This was fulfilled literally when our

3 oldest sons had polio many years ago. Our prayers
were always said with, Thy will be done, and that our
skilled doctor would continue to be blessed. We prayed
that the lives we had lived would merit a blessing.
Those boys were healed. I remember two beloved
friends of ours who came to administer to them, and
one of the boys called to me to ask, When are those
blessers coming into our room?

does you when you apply for a recommend.

My greatest wish is that Ill be worthy of all the many
blessings I enjoy, that our sons and daughters and
their fine partners will remain close to the church and
continue to realize the rich blessings that are theirs.
Humbly now, but also proudly, I would love to
introduce my family to you. Four sons and one
daughter are married, with two sons and two daughters
at home. Family will you please stand up. Some are
not here because of others commitments. Many of the
organizations of the church are represented here from a
Teacher to the Melchizedec Priesthood, the primary, the
mutual, the relief society, and the choir. Missions have
been filled in the New England States, Australia, two
in Great Britain, Argentina and Mexico. And with 11
grandchildren going on 13, these are all our blessings,
making the grand total thus far at 26 in all. So can you
blame if Im just a little proud. You may sit down now
family and thank you

We are very worried and troubled about our world and

keep asking ourselves and others what we can do to
set things right. The course is very clear to me. We
must make our houses a home for our children, a safe
place to be, a haven of spiritual living. We must live
examples for our children. We must be sure that our
home is where the spirit of the gospel can dwell, where
our children are taught to pray, to be loyal, honest, and
to love the gospel and one another. And we must teach
them to pray all the days of their lives.
I know that my Father in Heaven lives and that He
hears and answers my prayers for I have had it manifest
many times as my husband has laid his hands upon
my head, and with the faith and prayers of my family
and you as friends, I have come to know the joy of
life. I depend on this power of the Priesthood that
my husband holds in his hands. I give him great
honor as the father of our children, for the wise and
understanding way he has with them, for the devotion
that he gives to the responsibilities placed before him.
And as my bishop, he asks me the same questions yours

I sincerely pray, that you will find the Priesthood a

blessing in you lives and that your prayers may be
answered, I ask humbly in Jesus name. Amen52
The End

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This history of Elizabeth Bitner Dunford would not be complete without giving the opportunity to each of her children to
share his or her own memories and reflections on her life.

Carlos Memories
Elizabeth, the Woman
Mother was average height, maybe 5 4 and while she
might have thought herself a little overweight, I dont think Dad
thought so. She had the clearest skin you can imagine. Her
hair would have been black had she not started to go prematurely grey while still in high school. During most of her adult
life, Mother tinted or dyed her hair to take out the grey. Dad
supported her in this and there never was even a hint of her being considered a floozy. This was in the days when proper
women in our Salt Lake society did not dye, or change the color
of their hair. Today, we think nothing of it. Her eyes were hazel color, which is a sort of combination brown and green. She
was a very pretty woman, even gorgeous, but not in a worldly
sense. While outwardly she was quite beautiful, she had an inner beauty that glowed because of her purity and her sense of
knowing who she was. She had, what is called in the family, a
Bitner nose, which is long and straight. In short, she was a
very attractive woman.
I remember a very private moment in her life after the family
had moved to 1835 Laird Avenue. I was about 16 or 17 at the
time and this vision is just as clear in my mind today as it was
when it happened. One afternoon, when the house was quiet,
Mother had just gotten out of the tub and was drying herself
in her bedroom, with the door closed of course. I came home
from school and needed Mom or something, and so without

A family picture in 1952

thinking, barged into the bedroom on her. I still remember

seeing her full figure in the nude and then her covering herself
modestly with a towel she was holding. She was a great lady
though and didnt yell at me or get angry or remonstrate. The
mental image is one of a full figured, lovely woman, confident
and poised, perhaps much like a female figure sculpted or painted by a classical artist.
Disciplining the Children
Mother was normally quite even tempered. However,
she could become very angry. She would discipline me and the
other kids fiercely when necessary. For example, I dont remember what happened, but I recall her sending me downstairs to
my room one afternoon. On the way down, she kicked my behind and sent me reeling. Im certain I deserved it because I
dont have any memories of being mistreated or unusual anger
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or temper in her or Dad. Another common discipline we would

receive when we said a bad word was cayenne pepper on our
tongues. It would burn something fierce and that is how I was
taught not to swear and say the other bad words that I heard
in the neighborhood. Later as a teenager, I probably was complaining that Mom wasnt as hard on the little kids as she had
been on us older kids - meaning me. She commented that she
had been practicing on me and was getting better with them. I
think she mellowed with maturity and experience and seemed
more calm and serene.

this giving nature is one of my strongest memories of mother.

Everyone loved her and she gave of herself willingly and often. She was very interested in me and gave me positive feelings
about myself. I remember her waiting up at night during my
dating years. No matter the time, she would be up and ready
to talk about my date and any other things I had on my mind.
Sometimes, these talks would go for an hour or more after I
returned home. It was thoughtless of me to keep her up, but I
didnt remember or think at the time, that there were still other
children that she had to deal with. Later, as Dave and Gail began to date, our talks became less frequent because she was just
as concerned with them as she was with me and her discussions
took time with them as well.

A Talented and Remarkable Woman

Mother was very talented. She would sew a great deal and
especially in the early years, would sew and mend shirts, darn
socks, and make clothing for herself and us kids. There was also
a time when she was interested in ceramics. She spent hours on
end painting and finishing greenware that she had purchased
at various places in the city. She could play the piano, but I
dont remember her doing much of this during my youth. We
did have a piano in the home and all of us had the opportunity
to take piano lessons. Carolyn became the only accomplished
piano player among the children.

Ive learned that people can be divided basically into two

groups - the givers and the takers. Mother was one of the worlds
champion givers. She never put me down, nor did she put
Dad down or complain about him in any way. She was always
respectful of him and never complained to us kids about his foibles or her disappointments in him if she had any. A few years
ago, a song from an album called Jonathan Livingston Seagull
became popular and described my mother perfectly. Im not
sure of the title, but believe it is something like, You Are The
Wind Beneath My Wings. Mother was the wind beneath Dads
wings -- and her kids wings -- and it seems, everyone else she
knew and had an association with.

The Dunford home that I remember as a youth was always

cluttered, even messy. Dave and I usually slept in the same room
and our room was also always messy. Periodically, wed get in
and clean it up and it would stay neat for a week or so and then
gradually get messy again.

Sister Bates
On January 10, 2000, at one of our family meetings, this one
at Daves house, Doug said that he had recently seen Sister Bates,
a neighbor of ours who lived on 9th South when our family lived
on 14th East. Doug related his experience. He said, As soon

Mother was a remarkable woman. She had the ability to give

of herself, making people think they were the only person in the
room as far as she was concerned. Ive said this elsewhere, but

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as I said, Sister Bates, Im Doug Dunford, one of Clayton and

Elizabeths sons. She started to cry and told me that our parents
were two of her very favorite people and that she loved them
both dearly. Sister Bates would be about Moms and Dads age
if they were still living, about 86 years old or so.
Apostle Nelson
In 2002, during a discussion with Apostle Russell M. Nelson, he spoke of knowing my mother when he was President of
Bonneville Stake and Dad was Bishop of the Yalecrest Ward.
He commented that she was one of the most saintly women he
had ever met. It was a great loss to all of us, especially to her
grandchildren, that she died so young.
Mothers Tales from Her Mother
Mother loved family activities and recalled a little saying to
us that she remembered from her own Mother, Grandma Irma
Bitner. The tale was about toity (30) poiple (purple) birds from
Brooklyn and it went like this. (The teller of this tale must be a
little dramatic and use the heavy voice inflection of a 1930s resident of Brooklyn, NY. That makes it more fun.) Here goes.

Another one:
Be kind to your web footed friends, for a duck may be somebodys mother. They love to swim in the swamp, where its always
cold and domp (damp) Now you may think that this is the end.
Well it is.
This one was sung the tune of a Sousa march, Stars And
Stripes Forever, I believe.
A Fun Pantomime - Sewing Her Fingers Together
Mother learned this demonstration from her mother
(Irma) and was almost as good she was. Grandma really was
good at it and was able to give it real drama, with fierce facial expressions and dramatic hand and finger movements. The pantomime drama went something like this. Mother would:
1. Walk to an imaginary drawer and rummage
around trying to find a needle and thread. Always, there
must have been a great deal of clutter because finding
what she wanted was never easy. Then she would
sashay over to an equally imaginary dressing table, sit
down and begin to thread a sewing needle with thread.
2. Getting the thread through the needle was an
almost impossible task. This was hilarious because the
imaginary thread was too large for the small hole in the
needle. Finally, after we were laughing our heads off ,
she would succeed in getting the thread through the
needle. She would then pull a great length of thread
through needle and tie it off.
3. Then she would begin sewing her fingers
together, beginning with the smallest one first. The
needle wouldnt go through the finger too easily. It

There were toity poiple boids sittin on a coibstone eatin woims

an a choipin an a boipin. Along came Goity, a doity faced goil
from Joisy. She saw the toity poiple boids a sittin on a coibstone
eatin woims and a choipin and a boipin. Boy, was she putoibed.
We all loved it because she would dramatize the ditty and
really sounded like what I imagined. a person from Brooklyn
would talk like.

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had to be dramatically worked and pushed, first into

one side of the finger, then pulled through the finger,
with the long thread being pulled through as well.
4. She would sew each finger in order, repeating the
drama and pantomime motions with each finger. The
thumb was especially difficult because it was larger and
tougher than the smaller fingers. As each finger would
be attached to the thread, she would dramatically draw
the thread through the finger, and slowly move the
finger next to those already sewn together. The motion
of her pulling the thread through a finger and attaching
it to those already completed, was truly genius. We
would wince and groan as we watched her finger move
slowly toward her other fingers already threaded.
5. Finally, she would finish the demonstration by
tying the whole affair in an imaginary knot.

jealous of her. Anyway, this woman had the sharpest tongue

and the biggest grudge about the world in general and Mother
in particular that you can imagine. At any rate, I recall Mother
being made to cry quite hard by the harsh words of this woman.
There may have been apologies from the neighbor in later years,
but Im not certain.
Mom and Dad Together
I never recall one single word spoken in anger or in a loud
tone of voice between Mom and Dad. I dont remember either
of them putting the other down or using a sarcastic or degrading tone of voice towards the other. Im certain they must
have had differences, but they always worked it out in private.
Dad was always very solicitous of Mom. As far as I could tell,
Dad was courteous and kind and Mom was very supportive and
thoughtful in return. Dad would often write love letters to Mom
and she wrote several back. They seemed very much in love
through out their married lives.

We would all clap our hands and hoot and holler in appreciation. What fun she was!
Trouble with a Neighbor

Although Dad never talked in the least about the most personal parts of their marital relationship, after I became married
and could understand such things, I always had the feeling that
he and Mother enjoyed a good intimate relationship. I know
that Dad loved his wife dearly and was always her supporter
and cheer leader as far as we children were concerned. She was
always very loving in return with him and about him and supported him throughout her life. She wrote some very kind and
tender thoughts to him on several occasions.

Ill not name her in print for purposes of privacy and prudence, but there was a family who lived in the neighborhood
with several children about the same age as myself and Dave and
Gayle. The father was almost never home, so the mother raised
the children. Overall, she apparently did a good job with them
because, today, the kids are successful and prominent members
of their communities. Im telling this story because Mothers
relationship with her was extremely painful and negative for
Mother, and it occupied a considerable bit of her attention during the time we lived on 14th East. This neighbor is the only
person I know who may have disliked Elizabeth or who had
harsh words with her. In retrospect, I think she was somehow

To this day, my memories of Mom are that she loved Dad as

much as he loved her. What a great legacy she left her own children and what a tragedy that most of her grandchildren never

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knew her. Your grandmother and grandfather, Elizabeth and

Clayton, were not only dear to their family, but over the years,
Ive had many people tell me how much they loved them and
respected them. Sister Bates memory and reaction to the names
of Clayton and Elizabeth Dunford is quite common in my experience.

happy with Donna and was lonely and alone, even during the
time they were married. I have heard it speculated that Donna
wasnt ready for a marriage commitment and that she couldnt
handle Dads large family. She seemed frail to me.

Mothers Role in the Home

After the divorce to Donna Whipple, Dad was again devastated, not for the separation with Donna, but because he was
ashamed that he had to go through a divorce. Later on he met
Grace Higgs, whose own husband had been killed years earlier
in a charter airplane accident while flying to a football game.
Grace married Dad and they lived together for 4 years, before he
died. During that time, they built a nice home above the boulevard in Olympus Hills and he spent much time planting trees
and flowers and otherwise taking care of the yard.

Mothers role in the home was homemaker. She prepared

the meals and disciplined the kids. Dad was gone most of the
time during my youth. He was a baker and got up early in the
morning and so was gone when we got up. He didnt come
home until quite late in the day and was always gone Saturday as
well. Sunday was church so I never spent very much time with
Dad at home.

Other Women in Dads Life

Donna Whipple Dunford

At Moms death when she was about 55, Dad was devastated.
He was sad and moped around for quite a while. Finally, he was
introduced to Donna Whipple and they eventually were married. The marriage though, was not a happy one and eventually
they divorced. While reading the obituaries the other day, I noticed that Donna Whipple had just died. There was no mention
in the paper of her marriage to Dad. Basically, that marriage was
a big mistake, but Dad was heartbroken when it ended. With
tears in his eyes, he told me, You just dont get a divorce. The
word wasnt in his vocabulary. I dont think he was very happy
and I have heard that she definitely wasnt. It was a short union
and probably best ended when it did. He was morose and saddened that a divorce had occurred in his life. He never seemed

Grace Higgs Dunford

Graces personality is similar to Mothers, and she gave Dad

much pleasure during his last years. I think she learned to love
Dad very much and he reciprocated. Grace has stayed close
to our own family (Judy and Carlos), which we appreciate very
much. Our grand kids call her, Grandma Grace. She has
since remarried and lives now in St. George, Utah with her new
husband, Bill Smith. I think mostly because of Judys concern
and her own caring manner, she (Judy) has led out in keeping
Grace involved in our family. Grace and our family are quite
close and we see her and Bill each time either of us travels or
St. George or Salt Lake. I am delighted that this is so, and give
credit for maintaining the contact to Judy. Weve had Grace
to our home on many occasions and have been entertained in
her home likewise. Bill is a great guy himself and the two seem
devoted to each other. Dad would be pleased. (The reader may
want to read Graces comments at the end of Moms history.)

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machine with the pads moistened in salt water, the dinner dish
of scrambled eggs with bacon pieces with luttuce and other stuff
on top. And that makes me think of Moms meat loaf, which
had ground beef, bread crumbs and canned milk as three of the
main ingredients. Mom made great beef stew, and we often had
traditional Sunday dinners of delicious pot roasts, potatoes and
gravy and vegetables.

Davids Memories
I have such sweet memories of my Mother. I shall always
be grateful for her patience and listening ear as I confided in
her some of my worries during my teenage years. I always felt
that Mom and I were sort of kindred spirits. For some reason, I
think she used to worry a lot, and thus understood some of my
worries and concerns. Many a time I would come home late at
night after a date and find Mom sitting at our kitchen table, reading the paper or a book, and very willing to stop whatever she
was doing and listen to my concerns or a report of my evenings
activities.

I was not an easy teenager, and remember being very angry

with my family life as I graduated from high school and went
on to college. In spite of this I feel that Mom made a special effort to keep me close and she let me know that she loved me in
spite of my many faults. She was even willing to serve as a leader in my fraternitys Mothers club, which was quite a sacrifice
Im sure considering her children who were still living at home.
Mom was very pleased when I started dating Janet. She could
tell quality the minute she saw it, and Im sure she encouraged
my romancing my future wife.

The more I think about Mom, the more I remember, and appreciate what a great mother she was. One memory that sticks
out is the times she warned me about smoking. David, she
would say, you better not become a smoker because if you do,
youll have to teach me how to smoke. I thought of that warning many times in my young life, and while I never wanted to
become a smoker, I m sure it saved me from real temptations
that I would have otherwise had to face in my young life.

And speaking of romance, I cant help but recall the words

of our Dad on the day that Mom died. It could have been just
hours after her death; my recollection is that it was still dark outside. But Dad, expressing his sorrow at Moms death, said something like, Ill miss Mom very much; she was such a wonderful
lover. I remember being shocked and amazed that Dad would
say something like that just after his wife had died. Im sure that
I thought that surely Mom and Dad were too old for romance
(or whatever you may want to call it), I realize now how wrong I
was. Mom must have been a loving woman to make our Father
say something like that right after she died.

I remember observing and appreciating the loving support

she gave our Dad as he presided over the activities of the family.
Im pretty sure that I wanted that kind of support in my family
when I became married. I think Mom did most of the planning
and conducting, but she most certainly honored him as the
patriarch of the family.
The girls (Gayle, Carolyn, and Gloria Jean) probably have
much stronger and clearer memories of our Mother, but Gayles
excellent history of Mom brings back personal memories of her
juicers (Im sure she had more than one), the electric torture

And speaking of that reminds me that it was Mom who explained the birds and the bees to me, but she did it in quite a

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strange way. I swear that what Im about to say is true. I cant

recall how old I was, but I was quite young. I cant remember
Mom telling me how the sperm and the egg got together, although Im sure she did. The only thing I can remember (because I thought about it for days thereafter) was her telling me
where (what part of the body) babies come from. Babies, she
said, come right out here, pointing to the outside of her thigh.
Now I had seen the outside of her thigh, and there surely werent
any holes or scars on the outside of her thigh that would have
allowed the baby to come out, but because she said it, I believed
it. And for years, thats where babies came from as far as I was
concerned. I guess Mom was too modest (or knew I would have
a hard time understanding) if she had pointed to the site where
babies really are born.
Its interesting to think of my Mother as an angel, because
she really was an angel Mother. But not totally perfect. I remember her kicking me downstairs and swearing, You damn
kids more than once; actually, several times more than once. I
also have a very vivid memory of the time Mom punished me for
something I didnt do.
I had just returned from Doug Bates house, and as I walked
from the field into our back yard, there were the little boys,
Doug, Rob, and maybe Dan, playing in the former garden at the
far end or our yard in which Carlos and I had made many waterfilled trenches for the floating the boats that Mr. Henry Kipp
had given us. The boys were ruining our work with a hose that
they were squirting everywhere, so I decided to turn the water
off so they couldnt do any further damage or have any fun.
I had just placed my hand on the water tap on the south side
of the house when bam, the screen on the back door slammed

open, and our Mom, red-faced and sweating, (and eight and a
half months pregnant), came hurtling down the back stairs. I
thought I told you boys to TURN OFF THAT WATER, she
yelled, and then smack she slapped me in the face and knocked
me down. Im sure I was more shocked and surprised than hurt,
but I started crying anyway. Mom, I WAS turning it off, and I
just got here, I tried to explain through my forced tears.
As soon as she realized what she had done, (slapped her son
in the face for the first and only time, for something he hadnt
done), she was mortified. Oh David, she cried. Im so sorry, wont you please forgive me? Her sorrow was evident and
she asked me several times, David, please forgive me, wont
you please forgive me. She followed me into the basement,
again pleading, David, please forgive me. To my great shame, I
wouldnt and I didnt. I kind of wish that I could relive that day
and tell my Mom how much I loved her, and that I surely forgave
her for that relatively minor thing that she had done.

Gayles Memories
Elizabeth Bitner Dunford, my mother, was an exceptional woman in every way. As a young child I loved and admired her because she was the only one that understood me
among so many boys. I always wanted to be just like her and I
continue to have those feelings even 35 years after her death. I
think that I have had her on a pedestal all of my life. She was
my mother and my best friend. My memories of her will always
be very special to me.
Mother was physically a beautiful woman with very fair

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skin, hazel eyes,

a ready smile and
dark hair. Her hair
was rather straight
which frustrated her
at times because it
wouldnt hold much
of a curl. She started going gray early
in her life and I remember a beautiful
streak of white hair
Elizabeth and the children
in the front just over
the forehead. Not wanting to appear older than her husband,
she started to color her hair. To save money she learned how to
do this herself and on many occasions I was asked to help. It
wasnt my favorite job to do but she always seemed pleased when
I consented. She taught me to section her hair off in a pie wedge
formation and using a flat brush that I dipped into her color formula; I took tiny strips of hair and applied the solution to each
side of the section. It was long and tedious. I remember thinking that if I ever had to do this that I would have it professionally done. But what I loved most was spending the time with
her as we would talk about all of the concerns of a young girl
learning to grow up and wanting to be accepted by friends. She
was always sensitive to my needs even at the expense of her own
personal care. She was not extravagant on herself in anyway.

her. I remember when the escalators were installed in Auerbachs. We had been using the three elevators on the west side
of the building. Then the new escalators were installed right in
the middle of the store. After she taught me how to use them,
I loved going around and around and up and down to all the
floors while she shopped.
Even though Mother enjoyed shopping, she was a beautiful
seamstress and made many of her own clothes. She also made
most of my school dresses. Because we were not allowed to wear
pants to school at that time, I usually had two or three dresses
to wear that she had made. She was careful to see that I matched
the dress with knee length stockings and a pair of sturdy Buster
Brown shoes. My shoes were usually purchased from a store
in Sugar House or at the Paris Co. Thats when we could look
into a machine to see the outline of our foot to see if the shoe
fit was big enough. Mom was famous for getting the most wear
out of a pair of shoes so even if the shoe was too large but if the
price was right, I had to wear them for the entire school year and
even longer if necessary. One of the dresses that I remember her
making me while I was in grade school was made from a cotton
gray plaid with red, white and blue stripes. I liked most of the
dresses that she made, but this one was not a favorite. It had a
large white collar that looked like a pilgrims collar. Mother
really loved white collars, and she would wear them many times
herself. She told me that they made a woman look youthful. I
must have believed her because I was still wearing them in high
school. She even crocheted me one from angora yarn that I really loved.

Mom was a great bargain shopper. Her favorite stores were

Auerbachs, Z.C.M.I., Paris Co., Sears and Penneys. Many times
we would take time to eat in the Tiffin room with Grandma
Bitner or grab a slice of date nut bread smothered with cream
cheese at Auerbachs. It was always a treat to go shopping with

When I started dating, I had taken a few sewing classes and

had learned how to sew. But I still loved having Mother near by
for her coaching. When I graduated from high school, she made
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my graduation dress. It was a real favorite made from coral taffeta with beautiful white lace covering it. Chiffon ties crossed at
the bodice and tied in the back with a long sash. I loved it.
Mother also made several of my squaw dresses when I
worked at Knotts Berry Farm. It was always a surprise to receive a package from her with a new dress. I believe that the last
dress that she made me was my going away outfit when I got
married. It was a brown wool dress with a belt at the waist.
I loved watching Mother sew. She usually was very happy
while doing so and could many times be heard singing or humming a song. She loved her black Singer sewing machine, but
she also had a Pfaff and finally a Bernina. It was always exciting
to watch her when she got a new machine because she would
practice on it for hours. One such time was when she made all
the boys and I matching red plaid shirts. We wore these with
our Levis when we sang at a Dunford family reunion at Bear
Lake. Mother wrote the words of our Dunford Family Clan
Song to the music from the University of Utahs I Am a Utah
Man Sir. Five boys and I sang on the stage and I still have fond
memories that it was a great hit.
Mother loved doing other things with her hands. She painted ceramics, did some gold leafing and decoupage, she tinted
photographs and loved to crochet and knit. She could also be
found doing many kinds of crafts for her blazer scouts using felt,
egg cartons, feathers, boondoggle, plaster of paris and popsicle
sticks. Dad bought her a knitting machine later in her life that
she enjoyed using to make hats, scarfs, vests slippers and mittens.
Moms talents were many as she always kept busy during

the day and many times long into the night. She would clean
the house, iron on her Ironrite or by hand, read a book or write
letters to her sisters while sitting at the dining room table. She
loved to play the piano and took lessons learning to play by ear
using a chord method. She took the time to talk on the phone,
hug a child or two, visit over the fence, take us to our lessons,
make a casserole for a needy friend or prepare a lesson for one
of her church callings. She went from one thing to another and
still took the time to solve a problem with one of us and many
times counseling us long into the night. Mom was happy and
even tempered and friendly to all. She took time to stop whatever she was doing and would sit down at the kitchen table to
give her opinion or instruction whenever she was asked. She
was always careful not to pry but was still sensitive to our needs.
I dont remember her being a gossip for it was a privilege to be
trusted by her friends in a confidential matter.
Organizational skills of keeping up on the housework in the
home were not one of her strong areas of expertise. Dont get
me wrong, we always had a clean home when it was necessary
and all of us had our jobs to do, but it was always more important to her to fill the needs of a child or a neighbor who had
dropped by. I always felt that she knew what was most important and that it truly was the relationships and little things that
counted. As a result it was pretty common for the washing and
folding of clothes to get piled up on the top of the dryer. But
with nine kids she certainly knew her priorities and what was
most important. One of my jobs was to match the socks for everyone. It was quite a job and always was more fun if someone
would help.
Mother was a great cook. Our meals were not very fancy but
were nutritious. And because we always had friends or some136

one extra there, she taught me that there is always enough for
everyone if you just add more water to the soup. She read a lot
about healthy eating and the children were guinea pigs for many
of her experiments. On Sundays we always ate dinner in the dining room with our best china, sterling silver utensils and silver
goblets. We knelt down for prayer before Dad would carve the
roast. It was always a great meal. Mother always would serve
Dad first in honor and respect of the Priesthood and as the man
of the house. As children, we knew that she loved and respected
her husband. She was always at his side supporting him and
working together as one. It was mother who taught me that
your husband will only be as great as you think that he is. As
our children have married, I have tried to teach them this same
philosophy.

because she had six sons, or because her favorite church calling was that of teaching the Blazer Scouts, it was more because
she felt that it was a real privilege and an honor to be raising
and teaching future priesthood holders. She loved having her
boys serve missions and would write many letters not only to her
sons, but also to her boys that she had taught in church. She was
a wonderful example in the teaching of Christ like service in all
that she did. It was very common for her to pick up a stranger
if they needed a ride or to take a crying child home to his family. Because we lived next to a park, she was always ready with
extra first aid supplies, a hug and Kleenexs for the injured child.
One of my fondest memories of being taught Christ like service
was when I was in junior high. There was a young girl in our
neighborhood that had cancer and was very ill. I did not know
that she was not expected to live. Mother gave me the idea that
I could be a good fairy and each day leave little note or a surprise
to help her be happy. I had such fun thinking and preparing
little ideas for her to have and then I would ring the doorbell and
run and hide. It was such a fun project to share with my mother
and we would get each other excited as she drove me over to her
house. My friend died within a few weeks. I cried, but I remember mother teaching me about death and the fact that I had been
able to help her be happy during a very difficult time seemed to
be gratifying to both of us. Her mother found out years later
who had been her good fairy and thanked me for all that I had
done.

It was important for Mother to teach all of us to be polite

and to respect our elders. We were taught that when riding on
the bus, we were to stand up and give someone our seat if they
were older. We were also taught not to interrupt a conversation,
to help elderly people whenever needed, to not chew gum with
you mouth open or to burp at the dinner table. The boys were
taught to hold the door open for a woman and to assist them
while walking by letting her take their arm. Also learning to
walk on the outside of the side walk closest to the curb was important for her to teach her children. She didnt allow unkindness and if a bad word or swearing came out of our mouths,
we were reprimanded verbally and if we did it again, cayenne
pepper was put on our tongue.

It was mother who taught me about gratitude. I observed

her spirit of gratitude throughout her life. She gave me every
opportunity to learn the things that I would need to know to
help me to have a happy life. One of them was learning to be
humble and grateful for all that I have and recognizing that everything comes from the Lord. I also have come to believe that

Mother loved children of all ages. It didnt seem to matter whether they were hers or not, because she welcomed everyone into her arms. It is evident that they loved her because
people still comment on the loss of my mother. I do think that
she was partial to the raising of boys however. Not necessarily
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I need to stay humble so that I can be teachable. I continue to

learn from my children and grandchildren as well as everyone
that I come in contact with. It does not matter the age or the
circumstance, we can always learn something of value if we are
just open to the spirit.
I believe that Mother lived very close to the spirit as I observed her many times in prayer and study. I dont believe that
she read the scriptures on a daily basis. It wasnt as much the
emphasis at that time. But there was never a doubt in my mind
that she was obedient in all of her responsibilities. I remember
her going to the temple and carefully ironing her temple clothing. She didnt tell me much about them at that time except
that she hoped that I would be married in the temple when I
was older. We always talked about it and when that time came,
I was thrilled with the apron that she had embroidered for me.
I still use it and feel much nurtured by her spirit when I attend
the temple.
My last memory that I want to mention was at a very difficult time. Mother always supported me during the times of
my miscarriages and when I needed extra encouragement to get
through a class while at the university. But one of the most
difficult times was when my husband was on active duty while
in the army and was sent to Viet Nam. We were stationed in
Fairbanks, Alaska and she invited Bentley and I to move back
home with them during this time. I was devastated to think
that I might not ever see my husband again. Mother and Dad
supported me through this difficult time as they met us at the
airport and drove us to their home. They had prepared a room
for us and gave me the idea that I could re-decorate this room
to make it feel like ours. They paid for the expense of carpeting
and paint. Dad and Mom helped me to spackle, sand and paint.

I was thrilled to have a project and to have their support with

some space of our own. Mother spent many hours talking with
me about faith and the fact that the Lords plan is in all things. I
was able to regain my strength and determination that all would
be well. She even took care of Bentley for a month while I flew
to Hawaii to be with Rand before he left on the troop ship. It
was a wonderful experience to share this time with my mother
and it will always be one of my most precious memories.
Mother and I called each other every day between eight and
nine in the morning. I still feel that loss as I am often reminded of the fun conversations that we had. She was a wonderful
mother, sister and friend. The older I become the more I miss
her especially as I come to understand the beauty of her life and
the challenges that she had. She truly was a wonderful example
to me of all that is righteous. I continue to love her memory as
I am reminded each day of her influence in my life.

Douglas Memories
When I was about thirteen, I had done something stupid or
had talked back to Mom (I really dont remember the cause) and
she was so mad, she slapped me. I was standing at the top of
the stairs and was so stunned that for a moment, I didnt know
what to do. I concluded that crying would be the appropriate response. So I did my best cry and thought she would soften and
ask for my forgiveness. Instead, she just left me there and paid
no further attention to me. I stayed at the top of the stairs for a
long time. She vacuumed around me. I had never been struck
before. I dont think she ever even spanked us kidseven when
we deserved it. She had amazing self-control really. But one day
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she got mad over something and said, Youyouyou damn

kids! Wow, Mom swore. Now that was something.

Gospel. In short, she was an amazing woman and truly an elect

lady.

Mom was pretty. I remember knowing that even as a young

kid. I heard Dad tell her that too. She had beautiful, soft skin.
Not a blemish that I can recall. Although her hair turned grey
early, she dyed it black most of the time. Except one day, she
decided to go blond. I came home from school and she had
bleached her hair. I asked what she had done with my mother.
Where was she? She assured me she was still my mom but that
something had gone terribly wrong with one of her dye jobs. I
think the going blond thing was one of the steps required to get
back to the color she wanted. It was all so complicated.

Favorite Things
Among her favorite things, at least to my outward observation, were: Dad, children and babies, home, crafts, talking on
the phone, relatives, trips, health foods, food storage, reading,
and good music. It was easy to observe her quiet pleasure and
the inward glorying in her family when all were gathered at any
kind of family affair.
Not-So-Favorite Things
Although Mom was not one to often criticize or to point
out things she didnt care for, there were some not-so-favorite
things that could be pointed out. Over the years we learned that
hoity-toity or snobbish people, dirty houses, unkempt rooms,
unkempt children, dirty faces, and dishonesty were some of the
things she never liked. We were riding along in the car one day
when she mentioned that she didnt care for women who are
always primping themselves. The same conversation revealed
that she had a higher regard for men than for women. She felt
that men were generally more honest and straightforward than
women, who, she felt, were often less trustworthy than men.

Roberts Memories
When I think of my mother, Elizabeth Bitner Dunford, I
think of things under a few headings that describe the wonderful mother that she was:

Personality characteristics
Favorite things
Not-so favorite things
Particular strengths
Endearing traits
Physical characteristics
Happy memories
Relationship with Dad

Particular Strengths
Mother took good care of her children. An example of this
was the way she would wait up late to check on me and her other
teenage children after a date. She did not necessarily try to pry
into the details of the date, but desired to be available if I wanted
to talk. I suppose that knowing that Mom might be up waiting
for me at the close of a date made me want to be careful about

Personality Characteristics
Mother was kind, loving, concerned, and fiercely protective
of her children. She was devoted, diligent, hardworking, creative, practical, intelligent, fun, resourceful, and obedient to the
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my standards, knowing I might have to report on my actions for

the evening.

God bless her for her own sake and for the good job she is doing here.

Mom could get upset but she didnt often show it. Although
she wasnt always sweetness and light, she was not a screamer,
a cryer or a yeller and seemed nearly always in control of her passions. This does not mean, however, that she did not discipline
her children. She would not brook disobedience. The following
is an example of her method of discipline, written by her in Dads
journal about me when I was 3 years old. She wrote this, not
to glorify herself in the eyes of others, but with the intention of
writing about one of her children. Nevertheless, it gives a good
insight into her approach to disciplining children:

She taught me and my siblings how to work. And not just

any kind of work, either. For example when dusting, one had
to dust under the dining room table to get the legs and under the
chairs to get the rungs, to have done an adequate job. Once,
when I was about the age of a deacon, Mom saw me standing
around idly in the church recreation hall. She asked if I wouldnt
go help put away the chairs. I should have realized this need
myself, but her kind instruction, in the form of a quiet question,
helped me better realize the need to always be helpful.

Today I had a session with [Robby]; he had one of the boys

water pistol and after I told him not to put in some dirty water he
went into the bathroom and locked the door and stayed there
for a half an hour; in spite of my calm command to come out he
said no -- I told him Id count five and he could surprise me,
he said no I raised my voice and told him to unlock the door,
he said no I finally asked would he please let mommy in so
she could go but he still said no. SoI went about my work
and waited; then when he finally came out I spanked him and I
surely hope he remembers what for!
Mom was courageous in difficulty. Dad recounts an example in his journal shortly after the birth of one of the children:
Elizabeth has certainly been a jewel of untold worth to me and
her family. She has had a more difficult time altogether with
this baby than any of the others, but never a complaint from
her. Oh, maybe a good gripe now and then, but never a really
serious one from which she could not recover readily. After all,
9 months is a long time to be as uncomfortable as she has been.

Mother was very careful about our television and reading

habits as children. I dont know whether or not she had read any
studies on the subject, as television was new in our younger days,
but she seemed to know instinctively from the very beginning
that too much television was not a good thing. To more carefully control our viewing habits, and to make sure our chores
were done before we watched television, she had a coupler of
some sort installed on the end of the television power cord. This
coupler could be removed at any time, making it impossible to
watch television if we had not complied with her earlier requests
or instructions. After a while, however, it fell into disuse, hopefully because it became unnecessary.
Endearing Traits
Mom was particularly adept at making people feel good.
She had others best interests at heart and seemed always to be
thinking of the other person. Without making a big deal about
it, and without many of her own family being aware, she would
often take food to people who were ill or otherwise suffering.

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Physical Characteristics

As another example of her thinking of others, Dad wrote that,

during one of her labors in childbirth and in the midst of all her
throes, Mom told him to go back to work because she thought
his work was more important than his being in the hospital with
her. Fortunately, he stayed.

The foregoing descriptions by my siblings are accurate, so

Ill not repeat them here. Among the things that I remember
most, though, are Moms very soft skin, her clear complexion
and long, delicate fingers. In addition, she had very clear eyes
and a ready smile. Her cool hand on my hot forehead was a wonderful balm when I was sick.

Mom was a health enthusiast. As teenagers, however, we

may have thought more than once or twice that she was a little
too enthusiastic. I tried as a youth to comply with her requests
to drink Tigers Milk (a powdered mixture of rose hips, brewers
yeast and I forget what else, blended in milk or water), but it was
difficult. It tasted terrible. I remember complaining once to a girl
friend about my having to drink Tigers Milk. Her eyes opened
wide and she asked, incredulously, How do they get it? Very
carefully, I responded.

Happy Memories
Virtually all of the memories that I have of Mom are happy.
The fact that she stayed home to rear us in love and truth, and
that she lived the
Gospel of Jesus
Christ, are among
the greatest blessings a child could
have. When I
look back on my
youth, memories
of Mom at home
with us seem to
become a mountain of happy feelings. I realize that
not all mothers
can stay at home
to raise their children. But she was
able to do so, and
the example of
Elizabeth and Clayton 1968
her sacrifices and

In the days before the combined meeting schedule, Mother

seemed to go to Sunday School only on rare occasions. I believe
she stayed home to fix the Sunday meal, and then went to Sacrament meeting with us in the afternoon or evening.
Mom was often talking on the phone to someone not
frivolous conversation or merely to hear herself speak, as some
people do but in earnest conversation, often expressing her
love or concern for someone.
Mother was loyal to her friends, about whom I dont ever
recall her saying anything negative. Marjorie Giles seemed to
be one of her closest friends, but she had many others and from
many years back, even from high school days.

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love for her husband and children has left an everlasting impression for good on my mind and heart.
Relationship with Dad
All of the positive things as shared by my siblings about
their relationship are remembered by me also. I, too, never recall
hearing a cross word between them. On the other hand, I do
recall Dad coming home and bending Mom over backwards and
kissing her. This was both embarrassing and comforting at the
same time.
Mom seemed always to be very solicitous of Dad. She recognized him as the head of our family and wanted her children to
do the same. I dont ever recall her trying to override him or to
step in his shoes. For example, when she suggested expanding
the qualifications for receiving a gold watch from not smoking
to not drinking alcoholic beverages, and Dad said he felt that the
requirement should remain with the original prohibition against
smoking, Mom did not argue further or press him again on the
topic.
Mom and Dad seemed to be partners, each with separate
roles, which seemed to contribute to the welfare of the whole
family. She was very supportive of Dad and our family activities. I dont recall her ever complaining about the long hours he
put in at work. When he came home, I believe she wanted him
to rest a bit in his reclining chair, before pursuing responsibilities at home.

didnt have some project or other she was working on. For example, for a period of time she made and fired porcelain castings.
At other times, she put gold leaf on frames and other objects d
art. In still other periods she did decoupage. At all times she
enjoyed sewing. In these activities Mom tried to keep the home
presentable, but there were often little piles of clothing and other
remnants of her activities about. Dad, nevertheless, was patient
with and supported her in her need for a creative outlet.
Among the blessings given to Mother in her Patriarchal
Blessing were the blessings of a cheerful disposition and to be
loving and kind to all with whom she was associated. She was
blessed to become a mother in Israel and that her name would
be held in honor because of the family that she should rear,
which would add greatly to her honor on earth among the true
saints and to her glory hereafter. Further, she was blessed that
she might have joy, comfort and pleasure in the sweet influence
of the spirit which should surround her, which would guide her
through life and increase her faith. Truly, these blessings were
fulfilled to the greatest extent in Mothers life.
I knew and loved my Mother, Elizabeth Bitner Dunford,
and she loved mesomething that I have realized to a much
greater degree as a result of preparing this remembrance. I will
be eternally grateful for her influence for good in my life. May
she be called blessed and be honored forever; may her dominion
be an everlasting dominion and may it flow unto her forever and
ever.

Hobbies and Other Pastimes

Daniels Memories

With all her responsibilities, Mom needed and enjoyed having creative outlets. There rarely was a period of time when she

Probably first and foremost (after our Heavenly Father and

Jesus Christ), I have most to be thankful for my mother and my
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earthly father. This is supposed to be about Mom but I cannot think of my mother without thinking of my father. Why is
that? I believe I am beginning to see and discover the answers.

Elizabeth loved them. They felt her calls showed her interest
and her care and that she never pried. In marriage, her advice
was to feed your husband first, before you ever discussed any
concern or problem with him. She also said she would talk to
her children if they were having marital problems, but only if
BOTH partners were present.

I have had a very difficult time thinking about Mom, and

truly, I cannot think of her without thinking of Dad.
If somehow a prince and a jewel beyond treasure,
I am one part of family blessed beyond measure.
Born of goodly parents true and faithful,
They knew how to work and yet be playful.
Though pain and suffering led through deaths door
Her memry here will linger evermore.
She was kind trusting, loving and loyal,
This mortal existence proved her royal.

I also remember her greeting Daddy when he came home

from work. She always put on a fresh apron and then gave him
a great big hug and kiss. Then she would turn to us children
while she was still hugging Daddy and say, Isnt he just so handsome? When I asked her once who her best friend was, she
couldnt name any one person. But I knew that each of her
friends thought that she was surely Elizabeths favorite. She had
a talent for doing that. I think that each of us as her children
knew we were special, too. No one child was favored above the
rest at least from my point of view as the 7th of the nine. We
were all made to feel special and important.

Her test completed, the Lord called her home,

Mothers legacy is that were not alone.
She taught me to believe, be faithful and loyal
And through Jesus Christ become even royal.
Mom, thank you for your example and life Mom, Dad, I love you.

(Assisted by Bethany Dunford, my daughter)

She loved children and was truly the ideal mother. She was
even nominated for Mother of the Year and received a beautiful bust from Avard Fairbanks, a renown artist, as he felt she
should have won the award. (I think this is the correct story, but
I may be wrong.) I think that her method of rearing children was
the best but also the most taxing on a mothers patience. Because it seemed to me that when we were naughty, she just tried
to ignore our naughtiness as long as she possibly could, without
getting cross with us. With me, when I was bad, she just looked
at me with this sad look, as if to say, I am so disappointed in
you, Carolyn. That was enough to break my heart! I never
remember her yelling at us or at anyone. If she had a problem
that needed discussing with Daddy, I remember her just quietly
going into the dining room and closing the doors and discussing

Carolyns Memories
When someone mentions my mother to me, the first picture
I get in my mind, is of Mom, standing in the kitchen in the
Laird Avenue home, fixing dinner, and talking on the phone to
someone, and giggling this cute little giggle. It seemed that she
loved everyone and had time and concern for everyone young
and old alike. I remember her always calling to check to see how
Aunt Afton and Aunt Etta were, how were her many friends
doing, and how were her cute daughters-in-law? Her daughtersin-law have told me that they loved her calls and always felt that
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the problem with him. When she thought that something was
wrong that I was doing, such as when I would bite on an ice cube
that I had sprinkled with salt, to keep myself awake at night if I
needed to study late, she would say to me, I know that something
has got to be wrong with that, but I dont what it is!
She was a constant cheerleader for all of us never criticizing
us for anything. She loved to listen to me practice the piano, or
at least pretended that she did, and often came out of the kitchen
to tell me how beautiful something sounded. When I played in
the Concerto Night with the East High Orchestra in my senior
year of high school, I remember that when we climbed into the
car to go to the concert, someone in the car asked mom, Mom,
is it tomorrow that you are going for radiation treatments? I remember that she quickly turned to that person and put her finger
to her lips and whispered, Shhh. I think she didnt want me to
be worried about her when I was about to play for my concert.
But she was always selfless like that. If she hurt with her cancer
or stomach pains, we never knew it as children. I just remember
her pulling off her wig at night and saying cheerfully, Instant
Ugly! or putting it on and exclaiming, Instant Beautiful!
She was truly an amazing and wonderful mother and an angel wife for my father. I only hope to be able to present my
children to her as her grandchildren someday as good and noble
sons and daughters of God, in whom she can be proud. I owe
anything good that I have done as a wife and mother to the wonderful models that I had as parents my dear mother and father.
My mother taught me to love books, music, sewing, cooking,
and service, among other things. She modeled service for me
around the clock as she seemed to always be giving to her family
and others. She taught me manners, how to dress and act politely, how to put on a party with friends and family members, and

showed me what really mattered in life. She taught me to value

good nutrition, a clean house, children, and a happy husband.
She taught me faith, hope and charity by her living example of
these principles. I will forever adore her and revere her. To me,
she was the worlds best mom truly.

Glorias Memories
Even though it has been 36 years since her death, Elizabeth
B. Dunford, my mother, remains a vital influence in my life. As
I try to love and nurture in my own home, I often reflect on the
things Mom did or ask myself how Mom would have handled
this or that situation. Because she was like a living angel here on
earth, I am prompted to be more kind and forgiving, optimistic,
and generous by her example.
Mom seemed to handle emergencies with a calm and steady
approach. When I backed her new beige Impala out the driveway and scratched it from front to back she didnt yell at me, she
just sat there, dumfounded, and asked why I didnt stop when I
first heard that horrible sound. Another time I was holding one
of Dans homing pigeons so tight that the pigeons head soon
dropped. I had certainly strangled the poor thing and started to
cry for fear of what I had done and how my big brother would
respond. Mom somehow was able to massage the area where she
thought the pigeons heart would be and he soon perked up and
flew back to the coop. She rescued me and the bird.
In another emergency, I had somehow gotten the end of a
clothes hangar caught in under my eyeball and Mom deftly removed it with what seemed like the hands of a surgeon. We
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didnt go to the doctor for minor injuries. I think she had the
attitude, We can fix this or let me see the blood before we
made an appointment. But we did get our immunizations and
shots from Dr. Uncle Les (complete with a Mickey Mouse drawn
over the site with merthiolate). Broken bones were set and cast
and dog bites given the necessary attention but most things were
handled with a band aid and gentle hug from Mom or a drink of
honey and vinegar water.

will have this inspiration and guidance.

How thankful I am that Mom is still blessing and guiding
us today. At our first Dunford Womens retreat in 2003, those
present came to better appreciate what a profound influence she
has in our lives. At the closing Gayle suggested that if Mom were
here she would counsel us as did the Book of Mormon prophet
Nephi, Wherefore, ye must press forward, with a steadfastness
in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God
and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting
upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus
saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life. 2 Ne. 31:20

Mom wanted us to grow and develop in healthy ways and

was not afraid to be our mom even if we did scowl or complain
and play games like Mean mother. In one character building
moment I remember Mom saying to me, Youre just like the
little girl with a curl in the middle of her forehead. When she
was good she was very, very good. But when she was bad, she
was horrid. Mom made us work, fixed our meals, did laundry,
taught Cub Scouts, went visiting teaching and sewed. She made
me my first formal for a high school dance and was waiting in
the living room to hear all about it even though she was quietly
suffering from cancer. She loved our Dad and she loved us. She
loved the Lord and because of that we knew He loved us too.

Mom lived her entire life with the hope and faith that we
could all be together again as family and friends in the eternities. This wonderful woman, this heavenly angel among us, has
made the pathway easier through her love and example. I, for
one, sure want to see her again.

Johns Memories

I have so many more memories of this great woman even

though I was just 16 years old when she died. Some days I just
wish she were still here. I would love to talk with her now as an
adult woman and listen to her wise words. Despite her physical
absence, I am comforted by these words in my patriarchal blessing. Be true to your mothers memory, to her teaching. All the
days of your life she will be an influence. There will never be
a time that if you will stop and listen, that your mothers voice
wont be there along with your still small voice that directs you
in the right path. Your mother loves you and looks down from
heaven now and sees the wonderful things you are doing. You

I am warmed by the sweet memories of my mother. Unfortunately, I didnt have the opportunity to enjoy a good adult conversation with her, for she passed away when I was 14 years old.
But she was a great influence on me, even in my younger years.
Mom taught me the importance of honesty. My friends and
I had taken a small pull toy from the old Family Variety store.
I was pulling it around the neighborhood when our neighbor,
Mrs. Bowen, saw me and asked where I got it. I told her, Family Variety, and she probably replied, Thats nice, or some-

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thing, but Mom soon found out and knew that I didnt have the
money for it and that she hadnt bought it for me.
She brought the pull toy and me into the house and sat me on
the bed, grilling me for answers. After I confessed my misdeed,
she told me to pull down my pants and bend over. Just before her
hand walloped me (and I remember this very well), she said, This
is going to hurt me more than its going to hurt you. I didnt
believe her, and though it didnt really sting much, I decided to let
out a good cry, just so she wouldnt feel obligated to do it again in
case there was a question that the first one didnt have the desired
effect.
I always felt comfortable bringing friends to my home. Whenever wed have slumber parties at my house, shed greet us in the
morning with freshly made whole wheat pancakes. Actually, I
would have preferred to go to others homes where we could have
normal, refined wheat pancakes, but my friends were tired of those,
I guess, so my home was often the one chosen. Secretly, however,
I was proud that they always wanted to come to my homeMom
always took such good care of us.
Mom demonstrated much patience. There was a time that she
was the den mother of my cub scout den. One boy Travis Wendelboe was a particularly unsettled boy, one whom today we would
say was hyperactive. We were all at my house making crafts. Travis became upset at something and threw a glass dish onto the floor.
It didnt just fallno, he was definitely upset about something and
threw the dish on the floor with all his might.
We were all shocked and stood in amazement. Soon however,
I could feel the anger begin to rise inside. How dare he do that!
And he didnt even offer to pay for it or to pick up the thousands

of small pieces of glass scattered across the room! No remorse, no

sorrow, no nothing. I wanted Mom to get mad and to give him a
good scoldingmaybe even tell him to never come back until he
could behave. Rather than getting upset or angry, however, she
reacted most calmly and Christ-like, never raising her voice or becoming negative in any way. She asked the rest of us to help clean
up the mess, which we didI think, in silence. It was a lesson to
me of patience and peacemaking that I have never forgotten.
Mom told me this story when I was older. As a young boy, she
would frequently take me to visit my grandmother who lived in
the old Belvedere Apartments in downtown Salt Lake City. These
were uneventful visits, and this one had started out to be no differentthat is, until two nuns quickly slid between the doors of
the elevator we were in just as we were about to ascend. Dressed
in their traditional black habits, and appearing rather fearsome
to my young eyes, I moved backward into the protective custody
of my mothers legs. Then one of them, probably trying to make
friendly conversation, leaned down and looked directly at me, asking, Little boy, do you know who we are? I had never seen nuns
before, so I answered with some trepidation, Witches? I can
only imagine the embarrassment I must have caused my mother
that day.

In Conclusion
Elizabeth was truly an angel on earth, a covenanted woman
and a gift to all who knew her. We are privileged to be a part of
her family tree, to be loved and tutored by her example, and then
to observe the literal fulfilling of a part of her patriarchal blessing
that was given to her on 17 February 1937 by Patriarch George
E. Woolley, You shall be loved of the young people of Zion, and
those who shall see your life and your character shall be led to
146

speak well of you and to love you and to glorify the name of Jesus Christ because of your devotion and your faith and your pure
life.53 The love and devotion that Clayton and Elizabeth shared
was truly legendary and is an example for all of their posterity to
emulate. On a piece of paper several years ago, a note was found
written in Elizabeths own handwriting. In her simply stated but
beautiful prayer, these words represent who Elizabeth was and
the outstanding example she became for so many:

Bibliography
1 Bennett, Joan Bitner. Tape recorded interview with Robert R. Dunford. 22

November 1979.

2. Bennett, Joan Bitner. Thoughts for Clayton about his Elizabeth in possesion

of Gayle Dunford Wilson.
3. Bitner, Irma Felt. Letter to Elizabeth, included in Love Clayton Dunfords

Red Bool. 2 January 1934.

Dear Lord, please help me to make this portion of Eternity happy and

Beautiful for those I love and for those whose lives touch mine.54

4. Bitner, Roy Halseth. Letter to Elizabeth, included in Love Clayton Dunford

Red Book.

Her memory continues to be sacred not only to her family,

but also to her many friends that still make commenteven
many years since her deathoften saying, I still miss her.55

5. Dunford, Elizabeth Bitner. Address given at Bonneville Stake Conference,

September 21, 1969, in possession of Gayle Dunford Wilson.

Authors Note
To write the life history of my mother, Elizabeth Bitner
Dunford, is a very daunting task, one that I take very seriously
with much thought and prayer. How do I put into words all of
the love that so many people had while she was alive and continue to have in memory of her passing? She was truly an angel
on earth . . . loved, respected, and revered not only by her family, but also by many friends and acquaintances. Her life was
exemplary in every respect. Thirty-five years after her passing, it
is still a common occurrence to have someone say, I still miss
her. I readily agree, and for this reason I find it a difficult challenge to put into words what she was to all of us. We tend to hold
a person in high esteem or put them on a pedestal after they have
passed away. Why should it be any different with her death, for
that is how it was when she was alive?

6. Dunford, Elizabeth Bitner and Carolyn Kasteler. Dunford Family Clan

Song, performed at family reunion, Midway, Utah. 3 August 2002.
7. Dunford, Elizabeth Bitner. Letter to Clayton, included in Love Claton Dun

ford Red Book. About 1943.
8. Dunford, Elizabeth Bitner. My Life Story 1.
9. Dunford, Elizabeth Bitner. My Life Story 2.
10. Dunford, Elizabeth Bitner. My Life Story 3.
11. Dunford, Elizabeth Bitner. Note, in possession of Gayle Dunford Wilson.
12. Dunford, Love Clayton. Autobiography. 27 November 1967.
13. Dunford, Love Clayton. Love letter to Elizabeth, included in Love Clayton

147

Dunford red scrapbook. 3 December 1969.

14. Dunford, Love Clayton. Note to Elizabeth, included in Love Clayton Dun

ford red scrapbook. 8 May 1934.
15. Dunford, Love Clayton. Personal journal. 19641967
16. Dunford, Love Clayton. Memories of a Father included in first journal. 1

October 1944.
17. Dunford, Mae. Interview with Gayle Dunford Wilson. 20 February 2004.
18. Dunford, Robert Roy. Personal journal. 1969.
19. Lloyd, Gloria Jean Dunford. Remembrances of My Mother. 1997.
20. Patriarchal blessing, given to Elizabeth Bitner Dunford, February 17, 1937.

LDS Church Historical Department, Member Services, 548:47, Febru

ary, 2001. In possession of Robert R. Dunford.
21. S Book, LDS High School Yearbook, in possession of Gayle Dunford
Wilson, 1930.
22. Wilcox, Helen Bitner. Conversation with Gayle Dunford Wilson, 2004.
23. Wilcox, Helen Bitner. The Life Story of Irma Felt Bitner. 1998.
24. Wilcox, Helen Bitner. The Story of the Family of Roy and Irma Bitner: To

Commemorate the Ninetieth Anniversary of Their Marriage. 2000.

ENDNOTES
1. Elizabeth Bitner Dunford, My Life Story 2.
Helen Bitner Wilcox, The Life Story of Irma Felt Bitner (1998).
2.
Elizabeth Bitner Dunford, My Life Story 3.
3.
Ibid.
4.
Ibid.
5.
Elizabeth Bitner Dunford, My Life Story 1, 2, 3.
6.
Elizabeth Bitner Dunford, My Life Story 1, 2.
7.
Ibid.
8.
Elizabeth Bitner Dunford, My Life Story 2.
9.
10. Wilcox, The Life Story of Irma Felt Bitner (1998).
11. Joan Bitner Bennett, Thoughts for Clayton about his Elizabeth in
possession of Gayle Dunford Wilson.
12. Helen Bitner Wilcox, The Story of the Family of Roy and Irma Bitner:
To Commemorate the Ninetieth Anniversary of Their Marriage (2000).
13. Ibid.
14. Ibid.
15. Ibid.
16. S Book, LDS High School Yearbook, in possession of Gayle D.
Wilson (1930).
17. Ibid.
18. Ibid.
19. Wilcox, The Story of the Family of Roy and Irma Bitner: To
Commemorate the Ninetieth Anniversary of Their Marriage (2000).
20. Irma Felt Bitner, Letter to Elizabeth, included in Love Clayton Dunford
red scrapbook (2 January 1934).
21. Roy Halseth Bitner, Letter to Elizabeth, included in Love Clayton
Dunford red scrapbook.
22. Love Clayton Dunford, Note to Elizabeth, included in Love Clayton
Dunford red scrapbook (8 May 1934).
23. Gloria Jean Dunford Lloyd, Remembrances of My Mother (1997).
24. Helen Bitner Wilcox, Conversation with Gayle Dunford Wilson.
25. Love Clayton Dunford, Autobiography (27 November 1967).
26. Mae Dunford, Interview with Gayle Dunford Wilson (20 February
2004).
27. Love Clayton Dunford, Autobiography (27 November 1967).
28. Elizabeth Bitner Dunford. Letter to Clayton, included in Love Clayton
Dunford red scrapbook (about 1943).

148

29.
30.
31.
32.
33.
34.
35.
36.
37.
38.
39.
40.
41.

42.
43.
44.
45.

46.
47.
48.
49.
50.
51.
52.

Love Clayton Dunford, Memories of a Father included in first

journal (1 October 1944).
Love Clayton Dunford, Autobiography (27 November 1967).
Joan Bitner Bennett, Thoughts for Clayton about his Elizabeth in
possession of Gayle Dunford Wilson.
Love Clayton Dunford, Note to Elizabeth, included in Love Clayton
Dunford red scrapbook (8 May 1934).
Ibid.
Elizabeth Bitner Dunford, Note, in possession of Gayle Dunford
Wilson.
Elizabeth Bitner Dunford, Address given at Bonneville Stake
Conference (September 21, 1969)
Lloyd, (1997).
Joan Bitner Bennett, tape recorded interview in possession of
Robert R. Dunford (22 November 1979).
Ibid.
Love Clayton Dunford, Memories of a Father included in first
journal (1 October 1944).
Ibid.
Elizabeth Bitner Dunford and Carolyn Kasteler, Dunford Family
Clan Song, performed at family reunion, Midway, Utah (3 August
2002).
Love Clayton Dunford, Note to Elizabeth, included in Love Clayton
Dunford red scrapbook (8 May 1934).
Lloyd, (1997).
Patriarchal blessing, given to Elizabeth Bitner Dunford. Provided by
LDS Church Historical Department.
Wilcox, The Story of the Family of Roy and Irma Bitner: To
Commemorate the Ninetieth Anniversary of Their Marriage (2000),
19.
Robert M. Lee, 743 16th Ave., SLC from an email sent by Elizabeth
Wilcox to her mother, Helen Bitner Wilcox
Love Clayton Dunford, Personal journal (19641967), 273291.
Ibid.
Ibid., 98, 99.
Robert Roy Dunford, Personal journal (1969), 278281.
Love Clayton Dunford, Love letter to Elizabeth, included in Love
Clayton Dunford red scrapbook (3 December, 1969).
Elizabeth Bitner Dunford, Address given at Bonneville Stake

Conference (September 21, 1969)

53. Patriarchal blessing, given to Elizabeth Bitner Dunford. Provided by
LDS Church Historical Department.
54. Elizabeth Bitner Dunford, My Life Story 1.
55. Mae Dunford, Interview with Gayle Dunford Wilson (20 February
2004).

149

Chapter Three

CARLOS LEROY DUNFORD

1884 - 1921

By William C. Dunford

151

Significant Dates and Events in the Life of

Carlos Leroy Dunford
Born on May 19, in Salt Lake City (SLC), Utah

1884

Birth

Moved to home in country, 1675 So. W. Temple, SLC

1888

Age 4

Baptized February 28

1893

Age 8

Received patriarchal blessing

1902

Age 18

Began work at Bennett Glass & Paint to raise missionfunds

1905

Age 21

Brother, Isaac, died

1905

Age 21

Endowed August 8

1906

Age 22

Served two-year mission to Northwestern States, Aug. 14

1906

Age 22

Attended Utah State Agricultural College in Logan, Utah

1908

Age 24

Moved to SLC, working at Bennett Glass & Paint to pay

1910
Age 26

for schooling

Married Eleanor Hazel Love, Sept. 1st in Salt Lake Temple
1910
Age 26


First son, Stephen, born
1912
Age 28
Returned to Logan to continue studies at the Agricultural College

Second son, Clayton, born

1913

Age 29

1913

Age 29

Graduated from Utah State Agricultural College in Agronomy

Became a real estate salesman in SLC for Albert Toronto

1917

Age 33

1916

Age 30

Began teaching Agronomy at Granite High School, SLC

1917

Age 33

Third son, Burns, born

1918

Age 34

Received Master of Science degree from Univ. of Utah

1920

Age 36

Suffered paralyzing stroke

1920

Age 36

Died of the effects of stroke, August 25th in SLC, Utah

1921

Age 37

152

Introduction

Pioneer Parents

It was getting late that evening in October of 1920, but, true

to form, Carlos Leroy Dunford was still hard at work. He was a
teacher at Granite High School and the advisor to the Agronomy
Club, and an exhibit for the club needed to be set up at the fair
grounds. He was working alongside the school principal when,
at about nine oclock, he began to feel dizzy, and had to be taken
home. It wasnt until partial paralysis set in that the full horror
of the situation became clear: he had suffered a stroke.

Carlos father, Alma Bailey Dunford, was born in Trowbridge, Wiltshire, England. As a boy he voyaged with his family
across the Atlantic Ocean and then crossed the Great Plains
with the Mormon pioneers to reach Salt Lake City, Utah. His
family heeded a call from the Prophet Brigham Young to settle
the Bear Lake area of Idaho. During the early years they lived
in a one-room cabin with two other families through seasons of

For ten long months, despite excruciating pain, he worked to

regain the ability to walk. He succeeded in learning to get around
with the aid of a cane, and even
returned to teaching, but on the
evening of 25 August 1921, another stroke ended his life. He
was thirty-seven years old.

Carlos with Burns in

the spring of 1921

Carlos died young, but he

lived in a way that ensured his abbreviated life was not too short to
leave a lasting legacy. He was an
athlete and a friend, a scholar and
an educator, a missionary and a
leader. He was also a husband and
a father, and to this day his children and their descendants benefit
from his influence.

Alma Bailey and Lovinia Clayton Dunford and family; Carlos is in front of his mother

frost and famine as together they built the new community.

Alma was a pioneer in his profession as well. In 1865, at the
age of fifteen, a particularly severe winter in Idaho led to the
decision that Alma should join his older brother William in Salt
Lake City. There, Alma was apprenticed to a dentist. After learning his craft, Alma would travel by buggy with his instruments
to the outlying areas of the Utah territory, providing dental ser153

vices where none were

to be had otherwise.
Over the course of his
career, Alma became a
renowned practitioner
and instructor of dentistry.

who was born on the nineteenth of May, 1884. Four of Carlos

siblings were also born in that home: his older brother Isaac
Clayton, and his younger sisters, Margaret Moon, Alice Amelia,
and Rachel Grant. He also had two half-siblings, Leah Eudora
and Bailey, from his fathers previous marriage to Susa Young.
A Childhood in the Country

Carlos mother was

Lovinia Tricilla Clayton, daughter of early
Church leader William
Isaac and younger brother Carlos on the right
Clayton. Born in Salt
Lake City, Utah, she studied at the University of Utah and then
traveled to Juab County, Utah, to
accept a post as a teacher. She returned to Salt Lake and opened
a small summer school in her fathers house, intending to become
a fine school marm [sic] and
learn to play the piano. I had no
thought of marriage.1
That changed not long after
meeting Dr. Dunford, and they
were married in 1882 in the Endowment House, since the Salt
Lake Temple was not yet completed. They moved into a wellappointed house across the street
from the Pioneer Social Hall on
State Street. Five children were
born there, including Carlos Leroy,

The Dunford mansion where Carlos grew up

When Carlos was about four years old, as Almas dental

practice flourished, the family moved to a mansion they built in
what was then considered the country at 1675 South and West
Temple. Carlos sister, Alice, wrote,
Carlos at age four

It was built on the southwest corner of a ten-acre field and had

154

thirteen large rooms with connecting halls

upstairs and down the length of the house,
one large bathroom upstairs and a washroom downstairs and a huge attic and a
tower room which we girls later converted
into a playhouse and a cellar which none
of us ever dared go down into.2

about the stars and other wonders of nature. To this day I enjoy
the changes of weather and the love of nature, mainly because of
my understanding and patient grandmother.3 Almas obituary
called him the dean of all Utah dentists and said he was loyal to
his own, vigorous in the defense of his convictions, gave his all
for his home and family, paid his debts, helped those in need, and
left behind him an
enviable record
of a useful life.4
More information
on Alma Bailey
Dunford and his
forbears can be
found in The Story
of the Ancestors and
Descendants of Isaac
and Leah Bailey
Dunford, published
by the Isaac and
Leah Bailey Dunford Family Association, July 1996.

The house also featured lovely

grounds with fruit trees and room for
a black pony, a cow and horses, as well
Carlos, 1894
as one pet pig for each child. Carlos no
doubt spent many hours in the playground,
which Alma built right in the backyard, that included a see-saw,
a trapeze and a whirly-gig for the children. Carlos brothers
and sisters wrote, too, of fabulous fireworks displays in the summers that brought out the entire neighborhood. However, later
financial troubles meant the house was never quite completed.
Water had to be carried by hand. There was no heat other than
a marble fireplace in each room, and the electrical grid never
reached that far south while the family lived there.
Three more children were born in the house: Ruth Olive,
William Chauncey, and Mary. Ruth died at age thirteen, and
Mary died as a baby. At some point, Leah and Bailey also came
to live there.

Carlos at play with his brothers-in-law

Carlos brothers and sisters also lived lives that were often exemplary, and
sometimes tragic. For example, Chauncey served in World War
I, which damaged his health and led to his death not long after
his return home. His brother, Isaac, served a mission in Germany but returned home with tuberculosis and died three months
later. Bailey went to Montana to work as a miner and died in an
accident at age nineteen.

Their children recount that Alma and Lovinia worked hard

to provide for the physical and spiritual needs of their large family through good times and bad. They encouraged their children
as they worked in school and in church activities. One of Lovinias granddaughters wrote, Many are the times I sat out on
the front porch . . . snuggled beside her . . . as she would tell me

155

dation, and recommendations until I felt it was possibly being over done.
Brother Widtsoe was President of the College and I felt that possibly the
teachers were trying to polish apples by writing a nice letter for Carlos.
Knowing the President personally, I had a talk with him about Carlos
and learned that it was not through the Presidents influence that the letters
had been written, but that the teachers were writing as they had worked
with and learned to know Carlos. And so Carlos became a teacher in
the Granite High School and I found, as did the rest of the faculty, that
Carlos letters were not only recommendations but were also part of a
friendship that had been built up between teacher and pupil.7

Hazel also welcomed his sister Alice and her sister Vie as boarders in
their home while the young women
attended school.
Carlos and Hazel were
both active participants in campus
life and leaders within the academic
community. Besides her role on the
board, Hazel served as the Dean of
Women. He was a leader in the Agriculture Club, among others. He
also found time for the handball
club, and in 1917 he earned the title
of handball champion. In yearbook
pictures, Carlos and Hazel both
immediately stand out, with her
height and his very distinctive mus- Carlos, U.A.C. handball chamption, 1917
tache and bow tie.6

At Granite, Carlos taught agriculture, practical agriculture (taught

during the summer), soils and field crops, horticultural and vegetable
gardening, animal husbandry and farm management. He was one of the
first in Utah to do summer project work. According to his fellow faculty
members and students, Carlos was known for the consistency and the
quality of his work. He was a favorite teacher among his pupils, though
he had a reputation for requiring hard work and demanding high standards from students.

Granite High School

Another recollection from Carlos principal is as follows:

After Carlos received a Bachelor of Science degree in agronomy in

1917, the family returned to Salt Lake and lived at 2314 South Eighth
East, not far from Granite High School, where Carlos applied for a
teaching position. was the principal. He recalled the following:

The Agricultural Department and the Home Economics Department worked under the Smith-Hughes Act, a law passed by Congress

Carlos wrote me asking about the opening, and what he should do to

make application and the requirements he would have to meet. I answered
his letter, sending an application blank and asking him to send in recommendations from his teachers regarding his preparation, his work habits,
character and teaching ability. His recommendations almost lost him his
job. They were too good. Letter after letter arrived from his teachers. There
must have been thirty or forty, each telling of his work, character, habits,
industry, sincerity, honesty, determination, on and on with praise, commen-

Carlos instructing two of his students

158

whereby high schools could receive federal aid if certain requirements were met by the departments. Two hour class periods daily,
either for class work or laboratory work were required, summer
projects, note books, fair displays, etc. At the end of the year,
the inspectors came to go over the work. Carlos and myself spent
three days going over the note books, going from place to place to
see the boys home projects; pictures of fair displays were shown
and the boys examined orally as we went around. At the end of
the third day we went to the high school. . . . At the end of the
summary session the government representatives congratulated us
on the work accomplished, ending up by saying that it was the
best work they had seen in all their Smith-Hughes check-up
work. They felt sorry that they could not recommend us for the
federal aid as we had not spent two hours daily. (We had spent

only an hour and a half.) I then asked why it was that if we did
the best work they had seen and were being
penalized because we had done it in less time than others who had not done
as well as we had. Was there a penalty for time-saving? Both
federal representatives finally agreed that we were entitled to the
federal aid and would so recommend, and we received the same.
This citation is representative of all of Carlos work. He led in
his field.8
Meanwhile, at home on 30 January 30 1918, Hazel gave birth
to another son, Burns Love. In addition to his professional duties, Carlos served in Church callings, including as a member of
the Granite Stake Board.

Carlos experiment station exhibit, Denver, Colorado, 1915

159

feeling of pride and greatfulness(sic) for heritage. This is not an

isolated incident; many similar stories could be told of the effect my father had upon his students, all of them related to me
by those whose lives had been touched by the great man whose
own life was terminated so prematurely, at the age of only 36
years.

To illustrate the esteem held for him as a man and teacher, let me
tell you of this instance: When our son Douglas was set apart for
his mission to England at the Church Office Building, we were
coming down those steps leading to the front doors when suddenly
my eyes were caught by the intense gaze of another gentleman
who was ascending, apparently on like business with a member
of his family, perhaps a grandson of his. He accosted me, Say,
are you any relation of Carlos Dunford? Certainly! He was
my father. Well, Carlos Dunford was my teacher at Granite
High. I have always held
him in the highest regard.
He was the best teacher
I ever had. I will never
forget him. He taught
me many more things
than just Agronomy. He
taught me to be honest
and straightforward. He
taught me to be a gentleman always and respect
the girls. I loved that
man. I was one of his
students whose work he
was preparing for the annual State Fair when he
suffered the stroke that
finally killed him. And
youre his son! How happy I am to see you.

From what Mother has related of him, and from similar stories by aunts and uncles and friends, my father must have been
an unusually fair and honest man whose standards of morality
could hardly be reached by most men. Indeed, though cut down in
the prime of his life, his example to me as taught by Mother and
my family has been such that he perhaps has had more influence
upon me even though dead, than if he had remained to live with
his small family for the normal span of years. He just could not
have been that good. Surely there were human faults, but I dont
know of any, unless it was one I have heard Mother say many
times, Your father just worked too hard. He wanted perfection
in all things.10
Carlos started a family tradition that if a child reached the age
of twenty-one without smoking he would receive a gold watch.
Clayton recorded that when he turned twenty-one he received a
Hamilton vest pocket watch from his mother. Engraved inside
were the words, To Clayton, from Daddy. Dec. 16, 1934.11
Carlos descendants now number in the hundreds, and each
of them owes some part of their character to the lessons passed
down by a great teacher, Carlos Leroy Dunford.
END

Carlos relaxing by a mountain stream

Then he said many
other highly complimentary
things about my Dad and we separated, leaving me with a warm

161

William (Bill) Clayton Dunford is the great-grandson of Carlos Leroy Dunford through his son Clayton and his son Douglas. Though few written records of Carlos life are now available,
to prepare this biography Bill Dunford turned to the following
sources: histories of Alma Bailey Dunford and Lovinia Tricilla
Clayton Dunford written by Jill Wonnacott Dunford, a history
of Hazel Love Dunford by Gloria Dunford Lloyd, Carlos college
yearbooks at the Utah Agricultural College, his masters thesis at
the University of Utah, and an unsigned history of Carlos, probably written by either Carlos daughter-in-law Maurine Phippen
Dunford or Carlos step-sister Leah Dunford Widtsoe.

6. The Buzzer, Yearbook of the Utah Agricultural College,

Logan, Utah: 1917.
7. Lloyd, Gloria Dunford. Hazel Love Dunford. 2004.

End Notes
1. Carlos Leroy Dunford, photocopy in possession of William
Clayton Dunford, no author nor date.
2. Dunford, Carlos L. The Farmers Success As Reflected By His Vocational
Library, a Thesis. Salt Lake City: University of Utah, 1920.

Bibliography

3. Dunford, Clayton L. Personal Journal, Memoirs of a Father,

19441964.

1. Carlos Leroy Dunford, photocopy in possession of William Clayton Dunford, no author nor date.

4. Dunford, Jill Wonnacott. Lovinia Tricilla Clayton Dunford, The

Story of the Ancestors and Descendants of Isaac and Leah Bailey Dunford. Salt Lake
City: Isaac and Leah Bailey Dunford Family Association, 1996.

2. Dunford, Carlos L. The Farmers Success As Reflected By

His Vocational Library, a Thesis. Salt Lake City: University
of Utah, 1920.

5. Dunford, Jill Wonnacott. The Story of Alma Bailey Dunford,

The Story of the Ancestors and Descendants of Isaac and Leah Bailey Dunford. Salt
Lake City: Isaac and Leah Bailey Dunford Family Association, 1996.

3. Dunford, Clayton L. Personal Journal, Memoirs of a Father, 19441964.

6. The Buzzer, Yearbook of the Utah Agricultural College, Logan,

Utah: 1917.

4. Dunford, Jill Wonnacott. Lovinia Tricilla Clayton Dunford, The Story of the Ancestors and Descendants of Isaac
and Leah Bailey Dunford. Salt Lake City: Isaac and Leah
Bailey Dunford Family Association, 1996.
5. Dunford, Jill Wonnacott. The Story of Alma Bailey Dunford, The Story of the Ancestors and Descendants of Isaac
and Leah Bailey Dunford. Salt Lake City: Isaac and Leah
Bailey Dunford Family Association, 1996.

7.

Ibid.

8. Lloyd, Gloria Dunford. Hazel Love Dunford. 2004.

9. Carlos L. Dunford, The Farmers Success As Reflected By His Vocational Library, a Thesis (Salt Lake City: University of Utah, 1920).
10. L. Clayton Dunford, Personal Journal, Memoirs of a Father
(19441964), 12, 13.
11. Lloyd, 5.

162

Chapter Four

Eleanor Hazel Love Dunford

1884-1937
by Gloria Dunford Lloyd

163

Significant dates and events

in the life of hazel love dunford

Born on January 27 in Salt Lake City, Utah

1884

Birth

Graduated from UAC

1905

21 yr.

Appointed Asst. Instructor Domestic Science

Univ. of Utah

1906

22 yr.

Left for Western States Mission on July 2

1907

23 yr.

Appointed Asst. Instructor Domestic Science UAC

1908

24 yr.

Married to Carlos Leroy Dunford SL Temple SLC;

Hired as Home Econ. Teacher

First son, Stephen, born in SLC, Utah

1910

26 yr.

1912

28 yr.

Appointed to Board of Trustees - UAC Logan

1913

29 yr.

Second son, Clayton, born in Logan, Utah

Appointed Dean of Women UAC Logan

Third son, Burns born in SLC, Utah

1914

33 yr.

1918

34 yr.

Carlos suffers a stroke leaving left side paralyzed

1920

36 yr.

Carlos Leroy Dunford dies

1921

37 yr.

Domestic Science Teacher/Dean of Women

LDS High School

1922

38 yr.

Starts Dunford Bread Co.

1931

47 yr.

Hazel dies, 30 May

1937

53 yr.

164

Introduction

Hazel was the first of twelve children born to Stephen Hunter and Eleanor Wilding Love.2 Although not much is known
of her early years, she did grow up in a somewhat well-to-do
lifestyle. The Love home at 2263 South 700 East in Salt Lake
City, Utah was considered a
mansion and still stands today.3
Hazels father was the traffic
manager for the department
store, ZCMI, now Meier and
Frank, and as such would travel to New York every year on
business. Stephen Hunter Love
would bring back not only the
latest in sheet music, but also a
dress for each of his five daughters. According to niece Eleanor Love Fullmer Christensen,
They always had the very best
dresses and remembered the
girls being measured and fitted
Stephen Hunter Love
for corsets. Stephen H. Love,
a state senator and prominent
businessman, was once nominated to run for governor of Utah,
but he declined saying the other candidate was more qualified.4
LDS president Heber J. Grant was a golfing friend and the story
is told of how he would come to the Love home and ask for a
glass of buttermilk.5

I love you because you look only for the good, forgetting
the bad, helping me always to live a life worthy to be called a
true Dunford and Love, wrote a son in birthday tribute to his
mother on her 50 years of blessed work.1 This remarkable
woman, Eleanor Hazel Love Dunford, born 27 January 1884,
truly lived a life worthy to be called not only a true Dunford and
Love but also a daughter of God. Her blessed work on earth
ended 30 May 1937, but the legacy she left continues to be an
inspiring influence to a branching family tree.

Early Years

Hazels mother, Eleanor Wilding, appreciated fine things

china, damask tablecloths, and dinner in the dining room. At
their fiftieth golden wedding anniversary, her daughters and
daughters-in-law were each given a gold demitasse cup and saucer. Eleanor had purchased ruffled taffeta dresses for each of the

The Stephen Hunter and Eleanor Wilding Love family

165

granddaughters, and one granddaughter, Eleanor Fullmer, was

chosen to wear the gold taffeta
dress because she was named after her grandmother. Eleanor
had a gardener and a handyman,
and she sent clothing out to be
laundered. By 10:00 a.m. she was
ready to sit down at her little
table and begin doing handiworkneedlepoint, crocheting,
rug hooking, etc., until 3:00 in
the afternoon.6 When Eleanor
was seventy-five years old, her
family displayed the many beautiful items she had carefully and
skillfully created over the years
Eleanor Wilding Love
later at a social tea with 350 invited guests.7 Although Hazel had chores of cleaning and food
preparation, she must have learned an appreciation for the art
of gracious living from both of her parents. Betsey Campbell,
another granddaughter, did not remember her uncles roughhousing, so certain appropriate behavior must also have been
expected.8 Another daughter remembered the front lawn as the
place for summer games of Mother May I and games of elevator being played with the sliding door on the stair landing
of the Love home.

played the flute. They had a library with a grand piano where
the family would get together and sing. They also listened to
Grandma Reginas Music Box and Our Gal Sunday on the
radio during lunch.
Family and friends were always welcome in the Love home.
Every Sunday night would be an open house where a buffet dinner of roast beef, Yorkshire pudding, garden tomatoes, and corn
on the cob were shared with married children and their families.9 Sunday evening snacks would be whole wheat bread, hard
boiled eggs, grilled cheese, bleu Roquefort cheese, leftover roast,
anything else, and A&W root beer. She was said to always
have a tablecloth in hand. Even dates were introduced to the
family at these Sunday dinners or evening snacks.10
Sunday in the Love home was also a day to attend church
faithfully. Hazel was fortunate to be raised in a home where
the gospel was practiced and at age ten received a beautifully

An amusement room in the basement painted to resemble

a log cabin by Hazels father was a place where dancing lessons, complete with chiffon scarves, were given and family and
friends danced the Virginia reel. Music was also a part of Hazels
life as her mother sang while she played the guitar and her father

Hazels siblings and in-laws

(Hazel is the farthest girl on the right)

166

Campbell remembered receiving lovely gifts such as sterling silver spoons, lingerie, perfume trays, and silk baby bonnets. She
felt Christmas was more indicative of the generous and giving
hearts of her grandparents rather than of extravagance. Hazel
also loved Halloween, and as an adult she would dress up for the
trick or treating night.16

inscribed Bible from

her father.11 Of all
the women I know,
Hazel was a consistent Latter-day Saint,
recalled Milton R.
Ross. 12 The Forest
Dale ward considered
the Love family to be
one of the stalwarts,
and Nellie, as Hazel was often called,
was considered to be
one of its bright stars.

Education and Early Professional Life

Not a lot is known of Hazels early school years. Eleanor, her
mother, had received a third grade education and Stephen Hunter, her father, a fifth grade education, so they probably could see
the value of school and encouraged their children to attend and
do well.17 Granite High
School was within walking distance of the Love
home, and it is likely that
Hazel attended school
there. Education became
a major part of Hazels life
as she became a teacher
of domestic science for
many years and met her
future husband-teacher
at the Utah Agriculture
College (Utah State University).18 This love of
education and teaching
was also instilled in her
children as her son ClayHazel at about age twelve
ton later reflected that he

Holidays and particularly Christmas

were much-anticipatThe Love Women (Hazel is on the lower right)
ed events in Hazels
childhood. Her mother was considered to be Mrs. Santa Claus
as she would begin January 2 making gifts for the next Christmas.13 The house would be decorated with colored lights and
Santas sleigh and reindeer on the front lawn. Hazel would be
the one to carefully hang tinsel on the tree, strand by strand.
The tree was also decorated with chocolate balls and Civil War
soldiers. There was a Christmas village on the grand piano with
a mirror for a lake. Hazels father would put out carrots for Santas reindeer and would ring sleigh bells Christmas Eve to excite the children that Santa was coming.14 Christmas morning,
children and grandchildren would jump up and down on the
landing behind their grandpa and then race down to three large
rooms where name cards and gifts were placed on various chairs
and couches.15 Every grandchild would receive two gifts. Betsey
167

wished he had been a teacher like his father and mother rather
than a baker. Why did Hazel go on for further education after
high school? Perhaps because she wanted to, and her parents
could afford the tuition. As the oldest of twelve children she
held a respected position in the family. She was viewed by her
nieces as being important. She was special. She was the authority. She had a college education.19
After graduating from Granite High School, Hazel began
attending the University of Utah. Perhaps it was her gracious
upbringing that instilled the desire to pursue courses in improving the quality of home and family living. At the time, the University of Utah didnt have
courses in home economics, so she transferred to the
Utah Agriculture College
(UAC) in Logan, Utah to
get the desired training. She
graduated in 1905.20 There
werent as many graduates
then and the newspapers
held an account of her accomplishments. Her father
was so proud. He told James
E. Moss (principal of Granite High School) how much
he thought of Hazel, of her
wonderful abilities, and of
her desire to go forward and
accomplish things.21 She
then returned to the University of Utah where she was
Hazel, dressed for a winter day
the assistant instructor of do-

mestic science for two years.22 She was twenty-three, unmarried,

and capable, and after serving as the assistant instructor, she
used those capabilities in serving a Western States LDS mission
to Denver from 2 July 1907 to 7 October 1907.23
After her mission, Hazel returned to the UAC where she was
an assistant instructor of domestic science for two years.24 During this time she wrote An Outline of Demonstrative Lessons
in Cooking with Miss Lizzie O. McKay for the Housekeepers
School under the direction of the Utah Agricultural School.
These lessons were arranged for the purpose of showing the
principles of cooking those foods most easily obtained on the
farm, and with special reference to the nutritive value and to the
economy of expense and of time in the preparation. One lesson
on breads and cereals included a bread contest: Each member
of the Housekeepers School is to bring a loaf of bread which
will be submitted to a committee of three ladies who will judge
the bread according to the following score card:
Flavor
Lightness
Grain & texture
Crust, color, depth
Crumb, color, moisture
Shape & size

35 points
15 points
20 points
10 points
10 points
10 points 25

Hazel well understood the principles for making a good loaf

of bread and used these skills not only in her teaching and in
her home, but also later in establishing the premier product of
Dunford Bread Company in 1931whole wheat bread. She also
became a radio personality whose fame became widespread in
the field of proper nutrition in which she was a firm believer.

168

Romance and Married Life

woman who knew her job and knew the tools that were needed.
We didnt have much money, but she was persistent and finally
secured our equipment, and then I saw efficiency at work. I am
paying tribute to her today and the great help she gave me at that
time and that has been with me since.34

This lovable Love girl was not to remain single forever.

Around the corner awaited her future husband, Carlos Leroy
Dunford. He had served a mission to the Northwest and was
now attending school as a freshman at the UAC where Hazel
taught domestic science courses.28 According to Afton Love, a
sister, Carlos was a freshman who was just crazy about Hazel.
She initially wasnt too interested in this underclassman, but he
persisted.29 Another story has Carlos being asked to meet this
girl who was arriving by train to see Leah Dunford Widtsoe,
the wife of UAC president, John A. Widtsoe. Leah D. Widtsoe
just happened to be the half-sister of Carlos30 and was a critical link in making this important connection. Carlos met his
future wife in the family Phaeton automobile, and from this
meeting, friendship grew to deep love and marriage resulted.31
The Herald-Republican carried their wedding announcement
stating that they would be married Thursday morning, 1 September 1910 in the Salt Lake Temple with a large reception that
evening at her parents home. Miss Love was described as an
accomplished young girl who has been in charge of the domestic
science department at the Agricultural College for the past two
years. Mr. Dunford is one of the promising young businessmen
in the city.32

With this same efficiency, but more importantly with her understanding and love of family, Hazel at age twenty-eight, gave
birth to their first son, Stephen Love Dunford, on 28 July 1912
in Salt Lake City.35Perhaps recognizing the need and importance
for Carlos to
finish his education, they
returned to
Logan. Hazel was soon
appointed
to serve on
the Board of
Trustees
of
the Utah Agriculture College.36 She was
the first graduate of the
school to be
appointed to
the board.37A
Hazel holding Clayton and Carlos holding Stepehn, 1914
year later, at age
twenty-nine, she gave birth to their second son, Love Clayton
Dunford on 16 December 191338 Clayton was born in the little,
yellow brick house next to the Bluebird (a favorite rendezvous
and ice cream store) across the street from the A building on

While Carlos worked at Bennetts Paint and Glass, Hazel approached James E. Moss, principal at Granite High School, and
said, Brother Moss, let me come down and start a Domestic
Science Department there. You need it.33A friendship of respect
and appreciation must have developed as James Moss later spoke
at Hazels funeral. He described her as a woman of efficiency
and of doing things just right: First of all, the equipment must
be just right. It wasnt that she was fussy, simply a skilled work169

the Aggie campus.39 While her

husband finished
his undergraduate
work, she served
as Dean of Women
from 1914 to 1917
and cared for two
small boys.40 When
Carlos graduated
in 1917 with a B.S.
degree in agronomy, they left for
Salt Lake City and
made their home at
2314 South Eighth
Hazel and Carlos with the boys in 1918
41
East. This was a convenient location as it was near Granite
High School where Carlos secured a teaching position in agronomy and also near Hazels parents.

Changes
As head of the Agriculture Department at Granite High
School and advisor to the Agronomy Club, Carlos was involved
with many student activities.44 It was in this capacity that he suffered a stroke while setting up a booth at the state fair with his
Boys Club. This stroke left one side of his body paralyzed.45 Hazel was horrified at the news but soon called forth her many abilities to care for her ailing husband and also for her three children.
Weakened surely by the first stroke, Carlos died 25 August 1921,
after suffering a second.46 He and Hazel were only thirty-seven
years old.
According to her son Burns, there was no life insurance on
Carlos. The total support of the family fell on Hazel. Her father
had some kind of annuity and the twenty-five dollars she got

On 30 January 1918, Hazel gave birth to their third son,

Burns Love Dunford.42 She was thirty-three years old and probably enjoying the fulfillment of being able to put into practice all
those years of study and work into her own home and with her
growing family. Her husband was a respected teacher, admired
by his peers and loved by his students. Carlos received his M.A.
from the University of Utah in 1919.43 With teaching school during the day and attending school and studying at night, he was
assuredly very busy juggling work, school, home, and church responsibilities. Hazel may have been looking forward to focusing
full-time on creating a life of love, harmony, joy, and graciousness for her family. Sadly, tragedy struck and changed everything.

Hazel with her three sons, 1918

170

live with his small family for the normal span of years.49 Burns
was only three when his father died, but he was marvelous in his
eyes because his mother told him that Carlos was that kind of
man. When he did something wrong, Hazel would say, Now
your father would not like that.50 Carlos also had standards of
health that were reinforced by his wife years after his death. He
started the family tradition that if a child reached the age of
twenty-one without smoking, he would receive a gold watch.
When Clayton turned twenty-one he received a Hamilton vestpocketed watch. Engraved inside were the words, To Clayton,
from Daddy. Dec. 16, 1934. His wife Hazel had carefully and
lovingly continued this tradition.51

was divided among the three boys. We each got $8.50 a month
and that just used itself up. I dont think father ever had any money. They had their hands full just taking care of themselves.47
Even though Carlos and Hazel had only been married eleven
years, during that time they had forged a strong and eternal relationship of love and respect. She never remarried or even dated.
Burns Dunford recalled, One of the teachers down at South
High School just got a look at mother and wanted to pursue it
and asked if she would consider marrying him. Instead of being
flattered by it she was affronted. I remember her calling him an
old goat. She said, Do you think I would marry that old goat
after I have been married to my husband, Carlos?48
Carlos continued to have great influence on his children
through his standards
that were upheld by
his wife for his children. Hazel told her
children that he was
an unusually fair and
honest man whose
standards of morality could hardly be
reached by most men.
In their son Claytons
autobiography he recalled, Though cut
down in the prime of
his life, his example
Hazel with the boys in 1918
to me as taught by
Mother and family has been such that he perhaps has had more
influence upon me even though dead, than if he had remained to

Work and Family Life

Hazel was now a widow with three children to support. In
1922 she began teaching at LDS High School.52 The campus
which included high school and college level classes was located
on what is now the administration block of the Church in downtown Salt Lake City. Several buildings comprised the LDS High
School/College including the Young Building, Barratt Hall, the
Business College Building and the S (Smith Memorial) Building. Writing about the sixty-five-year reunion of the LDS High
School of 1931 in the Church News in July 1996, Sarah Jane
Weaver stated, A football field was located where the Church
Office now stands. Students had access to facilities at Deseret
Gymnasium and ate their lunch at the Lion House.54 The home
economic courses were taught in the Lion House with Hazels
office there as well.55 The S Book of 1930 describes the Lion
House as being an institution of girls in the art of successful
homemaking. This historic structure has also housed the school
171

cafeteria.56
LDS High School has been called the L.D., LDS University,
LDS College, and LDS Business College. Perhaps a brief explanation will clarify some of the confusion regarding the L.D.
In 1886 the LDS Church began the Salt Lake Stake Academy to
educate Utah youth in not only academics but also in reading
the Bible and Book of Mormon. In 1890 the state legislature
passed the Free Public School Act which funded free public elementary schools for all children.57 Private schools such as the
Salt Lake Stake Academy were funded by the Church. The Salt
Lake Academy taught both high school students as well as post
high school students and its name was changed to LDS College
and LDS High School to reflect this. There were several buildings located in various places in Salt Lake City for its campus,
and all students were required to take religion courses. By 1924,
90 percent of Utahs high school students, both LDS and nonLDS, were enrolled in public schools. According to The History
of LDS Business College 1886-1993, The Church re-directed
available funds into religious programs designed to supplement
the secular curriculum in public high schools and colleges rather
than duplicating them. In 1918, the LDS church seminary and
institute program began. Rather than phase out all of the LDS
funded high schools, only those schools that had expanded to
include college level work were allowed to continue until 1931.
In 1931, the LDS High School was closed and its name changed
to LDS University and then later to LDS Business College.58
Hazel was the kind of teacher who loved her work and her
students.59 Eleanor Christensen, a niece, remembered being part
of a practical nutrition assignment for Hazels students. Once
a week the young neighborhood girls (under twelve years old)
would meet at Hazels house and have a breakfast that Hazels

students would prepare. The students cooked cereal and other

good things to eat because the neighborhood girls were trying
to gain weightto reach at least ninety pounds. Eleanor remembered that it was not a party but a class and that the girls seemed
really oldmaybe eighteen years old.60
Both of her sons remembered what a good cook she was.
Clayton wrote the following:
Mothers ability as a cook was well-known. Friends, former
students, even those not personally acquainted with her, would
frequently call to ask how to prepare a certain food in a special way. Mother
was free with her
talents and could
always be counted
on to supply the
needed information. Many of her
meals were truly
works of art. All
of our meals were
basic with good
nutrition. It was
the extra touch
where
Mother
outshone them
all. Steve her son,
coined the word
combinage
(com-bin-aa-gee)
to describe some
Hazel with her sons
of her delectable
172

creations. Yet with all Mothers cooking ability we still had mush
for breakfast, a gruel of corn meal, or wheat hearts or cracked
wheat, drowning in whole milk and sweetened with raw or brown
sugar and fresh fruit.61

then Hazel would leave. Burns remembered that she would rap
on the window to the sleeping porch on her way out saying, Im
leaving now, son, its time to get up. He always had breakfast
by himself and it was always shredded wheat. When she came
home, she didnt want to cook again after teaching and cooking
all day with her students, so she often had a little brown bag
of whatever the students had made that day and that was dinner. Burns never quite knew what they were having for dinner
until he could get to that little bag. Because the Dunfords lived
so close to Hazels parents, many Sunday dinners were shared
with them. With his mother and grandmother being such good
cooks, Burns thought he was the luckiest kid in the world.66

Burns remembered eating an item called Egg Croquet

considered her specialty: It was prepared eggs (maybe hardboiled) and then deep-fried.62 Her nieces recalled that Hazel
introduced salads to the family. Nobody had salad. You had
green peas, green beans. You had corn out of the garden, but
fresh vegetables? My grandmother just turned her nose up at it.
She didnt think salads were good. All of the sisters in the family
took to making salads. Wed go to a family party and here wed
have salads. Well, that was because of Aunt Hazel. Afton Love
remembered that Hazel always set the table and fixed the meals
so beautifully it didnt matter what it wasIf it was a dish of
soup, if it was bread and milk, it was laid on beautifully and it
looked lovely. Her niece Eleanor said of Hazel, She did bring
those kind of things into our liveshow to set a table, how to
do things like that. A kind of refinement and she taught those
things to her students.63

Hazel had accomplished a great deal in her life and believed

her students could succeed as well.67 She placed great value on
the art and science of homemaking and the influence that a
woman can have in the home and in the community. Her writings in the 1924 and 1927 LDS High School yearbooks reflect
this philosophy:
The fairy tales we used to read began with Once upon a time
and usually ended with a wedding feast and they lived happily
ever after. We have only to look up the divorce court records to
convince ourselves that such is not always the case. There is really
much dissatisfaction. Two great factors contribute largely to this
unhappiness; a lack of knowledge of handling money by one or
the other of the contracting parties, and a lack of knowledge of
the physiological differences in a man and a woman. Nothing is
more worth while than the bringing of efficiency into the home.
When housekeeping becomes a science as well as an art, then it
becomes worthy of the best brains and highest endeavor.

Hazel L. Dunford

LDS High School Yearbook 192468

As a single working parent, Hazel had her hands full with

teaching school and raising three boys. In addition to these duties, she also gave lectures pertaining to health to the Relief Society, taught in the Sunday school, and for many years served
as president of the YWMIA.64 As a single working mother she
easily could have declined these calls but chose to share her testimony through her service. She was described as one whose
heart was right and who knew that the gospel of Jesus Christ was
true and diligently lived it.65To accomplish all this, however,
she had to manage her available time as efficiently as possible.
Steve and Clayton would leave for school first on the trolley, and
173

They talk about a womans sphere

As though it had a limit;
Theres not a place in earth or heaven,
Theres not a task to mankind given,
Theres not a blessing or a woe,
Theres not a whisper, yes or no,
Theres not a life, or death, or birth,
That has a feathers weight of worth,
Without a woman in it.

Zion. There is many a

young woman who has
seen her pictures in the
paper in the last day or
two who has risen up
and called her blessed.
She confided in me in
a good many things and
told me through her efforts, how she had gotten those young women
back into the line of
beauty and truth. One
of the Devils best weapons with young people is
to get them to think, I
Hazel with her sons
have gone so far that nothing is worthwhile. Sister Dunford somehow or other would get
them to feel that there were things worthwhile. Just because they
had their faces away, there was no reason why they couldnt turn
their faces back to the line.71

Knowledge is power only where it can be made available, practicalonly that which you can use of your education will benefit
you in this world. Home Economics in the L.D.S. aims to give
girls a practical understanding of the every day affairs of life.

Hazel L. Dunford

LDS High School Yearbook 1927 69
In Hazels patriarchal blessing, several gifts and characteristics were mentioned. She was blessed with the gift of discernment and it was her duty to give and guide the younger generation. Thou shalt through experience gain knowledge and
thereby counsel in righteousness among thy sex and in thy habitation thy name shall be perpetuated as a mother in Israel thou
shalt be known far and near. Thou shalt not lack for the comforts of life and no one shall be turned from thy door hungry
and for thy kindness thou shalt be remembered in after years for
it is thy disposition to be kind to all.70
Through her faithfulness, Hazel was able to see the realization of these promised blessings. In his remarks at her funeral,
Milton H. Ross recalled her work at LDS College:
To young women up there she has been a Savior on Mount

Hazel served as matron/dean of women of the LDS High

School and worked with the young women in the Forest Dale
Ward.72 Her counsel and influence of love and kindness was a
blessing to all her knew her.
Hazels sphere of influence in her childrens lives appeared
not to be lessened by the responsibilities of working or by the
great good she did for others. In her patriarchal blessing she
was also promised, You will have sons and daughters that will
follow in your footsteps and they shall be mighty in serving the
Lord and keeping his commandments.73 Although she did not
174

Salt Lake City April 5, 1937

have daughters of her own in this life, she was blessed with wonderful daughters-in-law and the promise of eternal increase in
the eternities. When Burns was asked what he thought of his
mother he replied, I thoroughly adored my mother. I was mad
at her because she would make me scrub the floors on Saturday, and I couldnt go out and play. I thought she was fair with
her discipline. She wanted the best for her children and wanted
them to live a righteous life.74 In her letters to her sons and
daughters she revealed in her own words much about the kind
of mother and grandmother she really was.

Dear Son:
No letter for me to answer this week. Today is Monday and
the postman hasnt come yet so I still have hopes. Life moves on
much the same excepting for us here the baby [Carlos Bitner
Dunford] makes a big difference. Sometimes I have a feeling
of something so very lovely and as if something wonderful was
anticipated and then I stop and remember it is the baby. If I
rave on this way you will want to come home wont you? He is
growing nicely making a gain of pound each week and this
very day he is to have his first orange juice1 teaspoonful and
then his grandmother(thats me) is going to give him a sunbath
under the sun lamp. He has had this for three times with
today. Does he like itI think he will be a sun enthusiast
all right. Can you imagine Clayton bathing him and changing
him? Well it is so. Even Steve cant stay out of there when the
Little Fellow is awake.76

Two of her sons, Stephen and Burns, served missions

Steve served a mission to England and Burns served a mission
to South Africa.75 Why Clayton did not serve a mission is unknown. He often expressed a desire to have been able to serve.
A letter from Salt Lake to Burns in South Africa portrays Hazels
love for the Gospel and for her children:
Dear Son
Your letter no. 7 came today, Friday. I cant understand why
you havent had my letters. I have written one each week. I usually mail them on Monday when Steve goes to work. I shall have
to check on him and see if he is carrying them around in his
pocket, but I dont think that he is. I am sure you cant know
how happy your letter made me feel. It was truly the high light of
the day and will keep me going for another week.

When Clayton was about sixteen years old, Hazel wrote

him a letter expressing her concerns about how late he was out
and who he was with. Clayton was so impressed that he saved
this letter:
Dear Clayton,
It is now 10:30 p.m. and I am wondering how late you will
be tonight. I can see you resent my saying I want you to come
home early. It will be hard for you to understand until you are
a parent, I suppose. I dont want to be hard on you; I want
you to have friends and a good time, but just what is a good
time? When I heard those loud girls tonight I turned sick in
my heart; I hope I have misjudged them. Truly, Clayton, are

My dear boy, to read those words I can scarcely believe my

eyes. You say you are just aching to get into the books I put in
your trunk. And that you want to know more of our wonderful
gospel. With desires like that you shall reach the top. I shall be
proud of you. What a wonderful thing gratitude is!

175

they girls you would be proud to introduce to your Mother, or to

Grandma and Grandpa? Are you proud of all your acts tonight? Be square. I cant bear to think of you with alley rat stuff.
I love you, oh so much; and I want so much to hear Daddy say to
me when I meet him, you did well by my boys, I suppose I am
over-anxious because I am all alone with the job. You must help
me I do trust you, but you seem to be so easily led, and I know
what a bad girl can do with an easy boy or man. I pray every
night for God to help you to keep straight and honest. I know you
are choice and Satan will tempt you every chance he gets, I love
you, darling boy, and I want you to make the Dunfords proud of
you. I know you will. I would prefer that you bring your friends
here; no good can come from mushing around in an automobile.
Think it over, son.77

dinner Monday night and I very grandly put it on displayAnd

several of them were for taking it home. Thank you again.

Sincerely, His mother78
Hazel recognized the deepening relationship between Clayton and Elizabeth, but its not always easy for a mother to see her
son falling in love.
Jan. 26, 1934
My dear Elizabeth
I have been thinking for days I would write to you. That first
day when Clayton asked me if I was interested in what he had
dared to put down on paper. I should have written then I suppose, because just then I wanted so much to see you and talk to
you. I suppose however the time and mood will come again some
time. It is rather hard for me to say just what I want to in a letter.

Clayton valued his mothers opinion and advice enough to

ask her to name a few girls for him to date. She recommended
one of her students Elizabeth Bitner saying, She is the kind
of girl whom I would love to have as a daughter to go with my
three boys.

I was not entirely surprised at the contents of Claytons letter

to you. Ever since that talk you and I had in Lambs Canyon
when we whispered back and forth until it became very late, I
knew that a certain young lady was falling ever so softly in love
with a certain young man very dear to me. I have also known
that he was very fond of you. I am sure this separation has had
a tendency to make you both realize how very much your friendship has meant to you. I am free to tell you I have many times
tried to get Clayton to take someone else out, not because of you
but because I have wanted him to better be able to compare you
with other girls. He has just smiled and said, I have plenty of
opportunity for comparison.

Clayton followed her advice and a friendship between Clayton and Elizabeth began. In a 1 February 1933 letter of appreciation to Elizabeth, Hazel wrote,
Dear Elizabeth,
How the days speed by. You see it is nearly one week since I
wrote the enclosed letter to you. And the very next day the lovely
gift you sent for my birthday came. To think you remembered, I
was so surprised and it all came in the midst of our very busy
Saturdayso you see I held my letter up so I could thank you. It
was very sweet of you and I do appreciate your kindness. I shall
never fail to think of you when I wear it. The folks were here to

Dear girl, you can never know just how that letter made me
feel of course I wept that was natural. Somehow I must realize
176

that he is grown up. I want to let him take his place in the
world and I know he cannot do that without the aid of a good
woman. Elizabeth dear, you have already done much for him. I
shall always feel grateful to you. I think sometimes women little
realize how very much influence they do have over men. I would
rather my boys associated with fine women than to be kings and
rulers. Do you know that was my big reason in sending my boys
to L.D.? It was there he met you.

She was a mother. She stood among Gods children next to

Himself. I think there is no one who lifts us higher than a good
mother and so with her efficiency and her great heart, she went to
work for her family, and she had a choice family.80Her sacrifices
for her children extended beyond just the time when they were
home. Clayton was the first to marry, so Hazel made an apartment for Clayton and Elizabeth in her home. Clayton recalled,
Although we were the first occupants, it was to be a source of
income for her when we were to get larger quarters. Nevertheless,
it was a sacrifice for her and we will ever be grateful.81These
sacrifices were always to be remembered by her children.

A fortuneteller (I dont believe them as a rule) told me six

years ago that when I was fifty years old I should be very wealthy.
Well tomorrow I am 50. As far as money goes I never had much
lessbut I am wealthyand you can understand. I do want to
count my blessings and praise the Source from whence they come.
There are many things I have wanted to talk to you about but
they must be face to face. One thing I hope you will not stay away
too long. I want to see you both in school and the more things you
can do and plan together, the more perfect his friendship. I am
sure you will both be sensible and not let your passions run away
with you. You will believe me when I say I shall always stand
ready to help you both up and up. There is a long way to go. It
can be very happy I am sure of that. My best love comes to you.

From his mother79

On Hazels fiftieth birthday Clayton wrote in gratitude,

I love you for standing by me throughout all my trials, ever
guiding and comforting; I love you for your inspiring influence
exerted in my behalf always the best of Mothers through thick
and thin, joy and sorrow, sickness and health. Throughout all
my life there will never be another who has done so much for me,
trying to make of my life not a house, but a temple, in which
only good emanates.82 Truly, despite her anxieties about being
a good mother for her children, she was blessed with posterity
who remembered her for all the goodness and sacrifice she gave
for them.

Hazel, like most mothers, worried that she was doing the best
for her children. A colleague of hers, James E. Moss, remembered their conversations and saw the mother heart beating.
Many are the days that she stopped me and asked, What shall I
do with the boy in this particular case? You know, it is hard to
rear them without a father. I dont know all of the things to do.
Despite her own doubts, Brother Moss knew of her goodness.
He paid tribute to Hazel Love Dunford at her funeral services.

Dunford Bread Company

Hazel had been teaching and influencing the lives of young
people for years. It was 1931, the height of the Depression, and
she was probably grateful for the means to support herself and
her family. Then the LDS Church decided to close LDS High
School. Hazel was out of a job. Her father came to her side and
177

suggested, Hazel, you make a good loaf of bread; why dont you
make a few loaves and sell them to your neighbors. If it goes well
you could start your own baking company.83 With incredible
courage and optimism, Hazel at age forty-seven began a new
career as a businesswoman.
Hazels father was helpful in getting her started. He was
manager of the Utah-Idaho Sugar Co. and was well known in
business and social circles in Utah.84 She installed two coal-fired
ovens in her home and began baking bread from a family recipe.85 Before very long, the orders for her 100% Whole Wheat
Bread were large enough to require a delivery truck and a fulltime delivery man. Her son Clayton helped Hazel bake the bread
and deliver it to the customers on the neighborhood routes.
Eventually the bread orders increased to the extent that a larger
place was needed. Arrangements were made with a small bakery,
Naborhood Bakery, to use their place for the growing business
until the first Dunford Bakery was established on Ninth East
and Seventh South.86 This Dunford Bread Company and later
Dunford Bakers, Inc. became one of the most well known and
largest bakeries in Salt Lake City because of Hazels willingness
to keep going despite lifes challenges.

ily think she was beautiful but she was. She was so full of fun
that she was just beautiful. She would come in the back door (of
the Love home) and take the broom off and sweep the kitchen
floor and she did it every time and that was before she said hi to
Grandma. She just came in and swept the floor and we loved
that. She was the oldest in her familyresponsible, admired,
tall, and stately.87
In the 1910 Buzzer (the UAC yearbook) School of Home
Economics section, Hazel is described this way:

Characteristics of Hazel
When you look at most adult pictures of Hazel Dunford, you
see a rather solemn, unapproachable woman. To those who knew
her, quite the opposite was true. Her niece Betsey remembered
her coming to the Love home: Aunt Hazel would come in and
everybody would rush to see her. She always had these twinkly
eyes. If you looked at a picture of her you wouldnt necessar-

Hazel waithing with her family for brother Chauncey, 1919

178

The play was Up From the Hills and apparently good enough
to be performed at the stake house.91

Eleanor Hazel Love, B.S. Instructor in Domestic Science

Professioncook
NationalityMormon
Dispositionlovable
Sizeheavyweight
In sympathy with Preps88

zel.

Lou Fullmer, a sister, wrote a poem in 1939 describing Ha Somehowthrough the years
Her face has grown dim,
Her features faded,
From memories crowded walls.
But her hands
I see them always,
White delicately calm;
Graciously serving a salad,
Tenderly pinning a shawl,
Gaily tying a ribbon bow,
And valiantly carrying on.
Gifts of grace,
Time cannot erase,
Eternal things like these.
Vividly I see her,
Lovingly using her hands.
Her loved ones,
Just to please. 92

Hazel smiling up at Clayt

Twenty years later, in the 1930 S Book (LDS high school

yearbook) she is described as follows: Thorough and accurate,
Hazel Dunford determines the path she wishes to take and then
absolutely follows it. Because of her likeable nature and her sensible disposition, she is a helpful friend to all people.89 Hazel also
enjoyed drama and Dramatics are listed in her LDS yearbook
description.90 A close friend and colleague, Milton Ross, recalled
his first association with Hazel teaching dramatics down in the
Amusement Hall of the Forest Dale Ward. She worked with us
to get us to do something worthwhile. I thought she did pretty
well with all except me, but she was diligent in all her activities.

Final Challenges
In 1937, another blow was dealt to Hazel: Three weeks after
Burns left on his mission to South Africa, Hazels father died
Feb. 22, 1937 of pneumonia. It was a sudden and unexpected
shock to everyone.93 Hazel wrote to Burns,

179

Dear Son,
This letter brings you the sad news that you knew would come.
Grandpa left us this a.m. We, the children were all here excepting Doris. I had left this letter on purpose so I could let you know
how he was today. He was not so good yesterday and it seemed
just a question of time. I stayed all night. It was very bad at the
last and of course everything is bad now. But that is life and
Grandpa is thru.94
Hazel herself had not been feeling well. She was having gastric problems that she had undergone surgery earlier to correct.95
She wrote to Burns on 21 May 1937:
Dear Son,
I have hesitated about writing to you at this time. Im in no mental condition to do so and yet I think you would perhaps wish I
had. I am having, in a few minutes, to go back to the hospital for
another operation. From all the human help I can get that seems
the thing to do. I feel that everything will be all right whichever
way it goes. And you must feel the same way. Uncle John gave
me a wonderful blessing last night and said an angel from God
would stand by my side. So I am clinging to that promise. The
same trouble I had 15 months ago you remember so well. There
is an obstruction in the bowel that must be removed. I have
looked all afternoon for your letter but it didnt come. I am proud
and happy with you. Steve says he will write you every week and
you must carry on. You know my wishes for you boys. 96

All night long I lay on my pain-racked bed,

Seeking to find my God.
And when the morning dawned
I heard His voice in a song of a bird.
I saw His love in a golden rose,
I felt His essence wafted over my cheek.
And then a burning came within my breast,
And I knew I had found my God.97

Eleanor Hazel Love Dunford died at 2:30 a.m. on Sunday,

30 May 1937 of abdominal cancer.98 Her fifty-three years of
blessed work were finally at an end. For those of us fortunate
to be related to this remarkable woman, we, too, feel grateful
for her legacy of faith, hard work, efficiency, optimism, courage,
joy, and love. As part of her branching family tree, Hazel also inspires us to live a life worthy to be called a Dunford and a Love.
Remembering who we are involves remembering this wonderful
womanEleanor Hazel Love Dunford.
END

Hazels last days were ones of pain and suffering and yet an
affirmation of her testimony and faith in God. Her last written
words exemplified her undying faith in the Lord:

180

Authors Note

real deal - respected and loved because she was congruent in all
aspects of her life.

Although I never had the opportunity to know my Grandma

Dunford while she was living, I am so grateful for the chance
I have had to learn more about her through the writing of her
history. She was a remarkable
and resourceful woman a trailblazer in many ways. At a time
when most young women were
seeking the comforts of hearth
and home, she chose to pursue
a college education and later to
serve a mission. She knew the
challenges of many women today in trying to combine a career
with an active family life. She
loved and honored her husband
in life and in death. Committed
to her covenants, Hazel raised
three children as a single parent
while juggling the demands of
teaching. Throughout her life,
Hazel at Saltair
she demonstrated her testimony
of the gospel through her service to both old and young alike.
When faced with adversity, Hazel went forward with faith in
God and began a new career as a businesswoman at age 47.

Perhaps Grandma Dunford is still giving Love ing encouragement to her family. Im amazed at the similarities in
our lives. I graduated from Utah State University in Home
Economics Education and know about efficiency in trying to
teach and raise a family at the same time. I laughed when Uncle
Burns described looking in the brown bag for dinner because I
have brought home the leftovers from a students lab too tired to
cook anything more. Hazel and Carlos were teachers, my father,
Clayton Dunford, wanted to be a teacher and I am a teacher.
To work with the youth in school or in Mutual requires a certain
joyful resolution. It must be in the genes. I know the challenges
of being a single parent and am so grateful for temple covenants
as well. Our family also continues the tradition of a gold watch
to a temple worthy son or daughter on their 21st birthday.
I hope I have adequately portrayed this dear and amazing
woman, Eleanor Hazel Love Dunford. It is an awesome responsibility to search and write the things I think she would want for
her descendants to know. What would she want us to remember?
What counsel would Grandma give us if she were her today?
What advice would she want us to follow? I believe it would
be to live life with optimism and commitment, to know our
spiritual roots, and to be grateful. I believe she would say to us,
Remember Who You Are.

I love the picture of Hazel as a young woman smiling in her

bathing suit. Although untouched by future obstacles, to me
this picture represents Hazels love of life, of God and family,
and of all things good and wonderful that exemplified her entire
life. I can just see her at mutual or at school or with her family
giving encouragement and expecting performance. She was the

181

13. Genealogical Records, Discovery Research, in possession of Gloria D. Lloyd. 1981.

Bibliography
1. The Buzzer, Yearbook of the Utah Agricultural College, Logan,
Utah: 1909, 1910.

14. Golden JubileeForest Dale Ward, 18961946. 23 August

1946.

2. Dunford, Burns L. Interview with Robert R. Dunford and Jeddy

L. Dunford. 17 August 1997.

15. Hilton, Lynn M., Ph.D. The History of LDS Business College
18861993.

3. Dunford, Carlos Leroy. The Farmers Success As Reflected By

His Vocational Library, a Thesis. Salt Lake City: University
of Utah, 1920.

16. Holy Bible, in possession of Gloria D. Lloyd.

1. Holzapfel, Richard Neitzel. Utah, A Journey of Discovery,
1999. Gibbs Smith

4. Dunford, Eleanor Hazel Love. Personal letters.

1. LDS Business College Yearbook. Salt Lake City: 1924, 1925,
1928, 1929, 1931.

5. Dunford, Love Clayton. Personal letters.

6. Dunford, Love Clayton. Autobiography. 27 November 1967.

1. Love, Eleanor Hazel or Lizzie O. McKay. Outline of Demonstration Lessons in Cooking, Housekeepers School of the
Utah Agricultural College, Logan, Utah, 19091910.

. Logan, Utah, 19091910.

. News articles: Facts: Mrs. Dunford by Louise Sylvester, The
Herald-Republican SLC, UT Sept. 19, 1910; Church News,
July 13, 1996 Sarah Jane Weaver

20. News articles: Facts: Mrs. Dunford by Louise Sylvester, The

Herald-Republican SLC, UT Sept. 19, 1910; Church News,
July 13, 1996 Sarah Jane Weaver

. Patriarchal Blessings, LDS Church Historical Department

Member Services. 337:187 (1) January 1903, (2) 27 January
27 1904

21. Patriarchal Blessings, LDS Church Historical Department

Member Services. 337:187 (1) January 1903, (2) 27 January
27 1904.

10. S Book, LDS High School Yearbook, in possession of Gayle

D. Wilson, 1930.

22. S Book, LDS High School Yearbook, in possession of Gayle

D. Wilson, 1930.

11. Fullmer, Mick, Bobby Love, and Afton Love. Love Family History.
12. Funeral services for Hazel Love Dunford, transcript. Forest
Dale Ward, Salt Lake City, Utah. 1 June 1937.

182

End Notes
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
26.
27.
28.
29.
30.

31. Ibid.
32. News articles: The Herald-Republican SLC, UT Sept. 19, 1910
33. Funeral services for Hazel Love Dunford, transcript. Forest Dale Ward,
Salt Lake City, Utah (1 June 1937).
34. Ibid.
35. Genealogical Records. Discovery Research. in possession of Gloria D.
Lloyd (1981).
36. LDS Business College Yearbook. Salt Lake City, Utah: (1924), 32;
(1925), 26; (1928), 46; (1929), 20; (1931), 28.
37. Fullmer et al., 541.
38. Genealogical Records. Discovery Research. in possession of Gloria D.
Lloyd (1981).
39. Love Clayton Dunford, Autobiography (27 November 1967).
40. The Buzzer, Yearbook of the Utah Agricultural College, Logan, Utah:
(1909), 32; (1910), 11011.
41. Golden JubileeForest Dale Ward, 18961946, (23 August 1946), 53.
42. Genealogical Records. Discovery Research. in possession of Gloria D.
Lloyd (1981).
43. Carlos Leroy Dunford. The Farmers Success As Reflected By His
Vocational Library, a Thesis. Salt Lake City: University of Utah (1920).
44. Maurice Phippen Dunford, The Story of Dunford Bakers, Inc. (20
October 1989).
45. Ibid.
46. Ibid.
47. Burns L. Dunford, Interview with Robert R. Dunford and Jeddy L.
Dunford (17 August 1997).
48. Ibid.
49. Love Clayton Dunford, Autobiography (27 November 1967).
50. Burns L. Dunford, Interview with Robert R. Dunford and Jeddy L.
Dunford (17 August 1997).
51. Love Clayton Dunford, Autobiography (27 November 1967).
52. LDS Business College Yearbook. Salt Lake City, Utah: (1924), 32;
(1925), 26; (1928), 46; (1929), 20; (1931), 28.
53. Lynn M. Hilton, Ph.D. The History of LDS Business College 1886
1993, 42.
54. News articles: Church News, July 13, 1996 Sarah Jane Weaver
55. News articles: Church News, July 13, 1996 Sarah Jane Weaver
56. S Book, LDS High School Yearbook, in possession of Gayle D.
Wilson, (1930).

Love Clayton Dunford, Personal letters.

Love Clayton Dunford, Autobiography (27 November 1967).
Betsey Campbell and Eleanor Christensen, Interview with Gloria D.
Lloyd and Gayle Wilson (5 August 2003).
Mick Fullmer et al., Love Family History.
Campbell et al., (5 August 2003).
Ibid.
Fullmer et al., 673.
Campbell et al., (5 August 2003).
Fullmer et al., 664.
Fullmer et al.
Holy Bible, in possession of Gloria D. Lloyd.
Funeral services for Hazel Love Dunford, transcript. Forest Dale Ward,
Salt Lake City, Utah (1 June 1937).
Fullmer et al., 666.
Campbell et al., (5 August 2003).
Fullmer et al., 616.
Campbell et al., (5 August 2003).
Ibid.
Maurice Phippen Dunford, The Story of Dunford Bakers, Inc. (20
October 1989).
Campbell et al., (5 August 2003).
News articles: Facts: Mrs. Dunford by Louise Sylvester
Funeral services for Hazel Love Dunford, transcript. Forest Dale Ward,
Salt Lake City, Utah (1 June 1937).
News articles: Facts: Mrs. Dunford by Louise Sylvester
Golden JubileeForest Dale Ward, 18961946, (23 August 1946), 53.
News articles: Facts: Mrs. Dunford by Louise Sylvester
Eleanor Hazel Love or Lizzie O. McKay. Outline of Demonstration
Lessons in Cooking, Housekeepers School of the Utah Agricultural
College, Logan, Utah, (19091910).
Dunford, The Story of Dunford Bakers, Inc. (20 October 1989).
Fullmer et al., 538.
Campbell et al., (5 August 2003).
Love Clayton Dunford, Autobiography (27 November 1967).
Ibid.

183

57. Richard Neitzel Holzapfel, Utah, A Journey of Discovery (1999),

146147.
58. Lynn M. Hilton, Ph.D. The History of LDS Business College 1886
1993, 42; Richard Neitzel Holzapfel, Utah, A Journey of Discovery
(1999), 146147.
59. Love Clayton Dunford, Autobiography (27 November 1967).
60. Campbell et al., (5 August 2003).
61. Love Clayton Dunford, Autobiography (27 November 1967).
62. Burns L. Dunford, Interview with Robert R. Dunford and Jeddy L.
Dunford (17 August 1997).
63. Campbell et al., (5 August 2003).
64. Golden JubileeForest Dale Ward, 18961946, (23 August 1946), 53
65. Funeral services for Hazel Love Dunford, transcript. Forest Dale Ward,
Salt Lake City, Utah (1 June 1937).
66. Burns L. Dunford, Interview with Robert R. Dunford and Jeddy L.
Dunford (17 August 1997).
67. LDS Business College Yearbook. Salt Lake City, Utah: (1924), 32;
(1925), 26; (1928), 46; (1929), 20; (1931), 28.
68. Ibid.
69. Ibid.
70. Patriarchal Blessings, LDS Church Historical Department Member
Services. 337:187 (1) January 1903, (2) 27 January 27 1904.
71. Funeral services for Hazel Love Dunford, transcript. Forest Dale Ward,
Salt Lake City, Utah (1 June 1937).
72. Ibid.
73. Patriarchal Blessings, LDS Church Historical Department Member
Services. 337:187 (1) January 1903, (2) 27 January 27 1904.
74. Burns L. Dunford, Interview with Robert R. Dunford and Jeddy L.
Dunford (17 August 1997).
75. Dunford, The Story of Dunford Bakers, Inc. (20 October 1989).
76. Eleanor Hazel Love Dunford, Personal letters.
77. Ibid.
78. Ibid.
79. Ibid.
80. Funeral services for Hazel Love Dunford, transcript. Forest Dale Ward,
Salt Lake City, Utah (1 June 1937).
81. Love Clayton Dunford, Autobiography (27 November 1967).
82. Love Clayton Dunford, Personal letters.
83. Dunford, The Story of Dunford Bakers, Inc. (20 October 1989).

84.
85.
86.
87.
88.
89.
90.
91.
92.
93.

184

Ibid.
Fullmer et al.
Dunford, The Story of Dunford Bakers, Inc. (20 October 1989).
Campbell et al., (5 August 2003).
The Buzzer, Yearbook of the Utah Agricultural College, Logan, Utah:
(1909), 32; (1910), 11011.
S Book, LDS High School Yearbook, in possession of Gayle D.
Wilson, (1930).
LDS Business College Yearbook. Salt Lake City, Utah: (1924), 32;
(1925), 26; (1928), 46; (1929), 20; (1931), 28.
Funeral services for Hazel Love Dunford, transcript. Forest Dale Ward,
Salt Lake City, Utah (1 June 1937).
Mrs. Earnest C. Fullmer, Remembering Hazel (27 January 1939).
Dunford, The Story of Dunford Bakers, Inc. (20 October 1989).

Chapter Five
ROY HALSETH BITNER
1886 - 1966

By Carlos B. and Daniel B. Dunford

185

Significant Dates and Events in the Life of

Roy Halseth Bitner
Born on Sept. 28, in Big Cottonwood Salt Lake

City (SLC), Utah
Helping on the farm, planting trees
Graduated from grade school
Attended University of Utah for two years
Began work for Rock Island RR, Topeka, Kansas,

as telegrapher
Working as telegrapher for Rock Island RR, Topeka,

Kansas
Married Irma Felt
First daughter, Mary born
Second daughter, Elizabeth born
Worked as telegrapher for Western Union in SLC
Changed jobs to real estate salesman in SLC for

Albert Toronto
Only son, Robert, born
Opened own real estate office in SLC, UT

Bitner Realty
Third daughter, Helen born
Ordained high priest, after calling to Wasatch Ward

Bishopric
Joan born
Stock market crash
Purchased home on Twelfth East.
Rode his horse in the Days of 47 Parade
Moved to La Jolla, CA
Moved back to SLC Belvedere Apartments
Wife, Irma, passed away
Died in Salt Lake City after a subdural hematoma

1886

Birth

1898
1901
1905
1905

Age 11
Age 14
Age 19
Age 19

1907

Age 21

1909
1912
1914
1916
1916

Age 23
Age 26
Age 28
Age 30
Age 30

1922
1924

Age 36
Age 38

1927
1927

Age 41
Age 41

1929
1929
1938
1947
1958
1960
1965
1966

Age 43
Age 43
Age 52
Age 61
Age 72
Age 74
Age 79
Age 80

186

Birth and Early History

ing on farm ploughing

with my little son Roy.
God bless him and may
he grow up to be an intelligent and useful man.3

Roy Halseth Bitner was born in Holladay, Utah on 28 September 1886, to Breneman Barr and Maren Marthine Halseth
Bitner. He was named Moroni Halseth Bitner, but his father
began calling him Roy as early as age five. Roy Halseth Bitner
became his legal name.1 In this history, his mothers name is
spelled not as written in his own short history, but as it is spelled
on official records of her name. The children of Clayton and
Elizabeth Dunford always heard their grandpas mothers name
pronounced with a hard t, that is, Martine. It was actually
spelled with a th, but family members must have heard her
name said as she pronounced it, Martine. Being Norwegian,
she might have had a difficult time pronouncing the soft th
sound and instead used the hard t. Roy Bitner was blessed by
his father soon after he was born.

He was baptized by
John Sutherland into The
Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter-day Saints on 3
July 1897, when he was
almost eleven years old
and was confirmed on the
same day by his father. It
is noted that his baptism
was delayed until age
Roy at three years
eleven but it is not known
if there was a specific reason, other than that it might have been
overlooked when he turned eight years old. He then presumably
progressed through the usual positions and ranks of the priesthood. At age nineteen or twenty he didnt serve a formal church
mission but instead began his working life as noted above. He
always seemed active in the Church, but at the time, service
on a mission may not have been as universal as it is now; there
also may have been financial considerations in the family that
prevented his going.

Roy Bitner grew up in rural Holladay, which then was farm

country southeast of Salt Lake City, Utah, at a place called Big
Cottonwood. He spent his early life learning farm chores and
helping around the farm. In his own writing, he refers to his
birthplace as the Bitner Farm. His older brothers also helped
on the farm, although their time there had long since passed when
Roy began assuming dutieswhen he was six, his older brothers
Brennie, Milton, and Hoffman were twenty-five, twenty, and fifteen, respectively.2 He attended Cottonwood grade school and
graduated at age fourteen. He then went to Granite Seminary, an
early school begun by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints. He also attended the University of Utah for about two
years. His fathers (Brenemans)writing mentioned that young
Roy helped around the farm planting trees and other crops, as
well as helping to tend sheep in the hills after the planting had
been completed. He recorded in his journal one day, Work-

Roy and Irma

In 1905, at age nineteen, Roy was offered a job by his brother-in-law, Homer Swortwood, as a telegrapher for the Rock Is-

187

Together we have met the blows, the care;

At pain weve smiled, and laughed when life was fair.
In time to come theyll go their separate ways
And I shall watch as ever, love and praise
But not intrude because they are apart
Their lives their ownbut You,
You hold my heart.

land Railroad in Topeka, Kansas. He lived with his sister, Nettie, and Homer while in Topeka. Later he was sent to Dalhart,
Texas, and later still to Logan, New Mexico, where he worked
until the fall of 1907.
His parents wanted him to come home, so in 1908 he came
back to Salt Lake where he took work with the Oregon Short
Line Rail Road, again in the telegraph office, and worked there
until 1909. It was while he was back in Salt Lake City that Roy
met his eternal companion, Irma Felt, on one hot summer day
in 1908. Roy, and Irmas older brother Joe, had become good
friends. When Joe brought Roy to the house that day, it was not
a pleasant encounter for Irma, who was laying cement in an old
Mother Hubbard apron in front of the house and was furious
that Joe had brought a strange boy by with her clothes so dirty
and her hair in disarray. Apparently, she took an immediate dislike to Roy, who was nevertheless enchanted with her. He eventually won her over, and they were married on 29 September
1909 in the Salt Lake Temple by Joseph Fielding Smith, some
time before Elder Smith was ordained an apostle in The Church
of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Roy and Irma had five children. In order from oldest to

youngest, they were as follows: Mary, born in 1912; Elizabeth,
born in 1914; Robert, born in 1922; Helen, born in 1927; and
Joan, born in 1929. Helen, Roys second youngest child, wrote
that there was a stillborn child named Jean but didnt give the
year she came to the family. Helen also wrote that her parents
had about two hundred descendants as of the year 2000.

Roy and Irma loved each other very deeply. In the beautiful
poem below, written to Roy one Fathers Day, Irma described
this lovea love blessed with children, a love that would endure
forever, long after their children would leave.

To My Dear on Fathers Day4

These children of our youthful love have twined
Themselves into my heart. Oh, may they find
The best in lifefull strength and beauty, grace
Of soul and mind. But You, you have first place.

Roy, unidentified relation, Elizabeth, Irma, Etta Toronto and Mary

188

Roys sister, Aida, was the mother of the present president of

the Church, Gordon B. Hinckley. That would make Elizabeth
Dunford, Claytons wife, a first cousin of President Hinckleys
and their children, therefore, would be first cousins once removed to the prophet. They are also related to Apostle Joseph
B. Wirthlin. Other last names in the family tree are, of course,
Halseth, as well as Fox, Felt, and Toronto from Irmas side.

p.m. to 12:30 a.m. shift. He held that position until 1916 when
he left the wire service and went to work for a brother-in-law,
Albert Toronto, as a real estate salesman. He worked for Uncle
Albert until 1924, when he opened his own real estate office, Bitner Realty. He remained self-employed in the real estate business
for the rest of his working life.5
Roy enjoyed many aspects of the real estate business. He
loved being outdoors and traveling the area looking at properties. His children once heard him express satisfaction at helping
a young family find a nice home. He often went out of his way
to get his clients into the best possible home for the least possible price, even though it meant that he made less money. He
also took the time to find the right property for his clients, even
though this may not have been the most efficient way to sell
homes. Helen Wilcox, Roys daughter, described Roy as modest and unassuming as well as scrupulously honest. While he
didnt make nearly the money that other realtors were making
at the time, Roys work was nonetheless honorable, and he sold
homes with his integrity intact.6

Roys Working Career

Soon after Roy and Irma were married, Roys grandfather
Bitner passed away, leaving behind a farm with an orchard that
needed tending. Roy moved his new bride to the farmfar
from her family and familiar lifeso that he could tend to the
orchard. While life on the farm was something that neither of
them preferred, the property was soon sold and they went back
to Topeka, where he took up his former position with the Rock
Island Railroad.
This work, however, was also not part of Roys intended career path. He actually wanted to be a dentist, a profession for
which his manual dexterity and gentle nature were well suited.
While this path would have brought a great deal of personal fulfillment to Roy and almost certain financial success to his family, Irma wanted desperately to return home to Salt Lake City.
She had just suffered a miscarriage, and the time away from her
family was taking its toll. To appease his wife, Roy abandoned
dreams of becoming a dentist and, after a brief transfer by the
railroad to Chicago, he and his family returned to Salt Lake,
were he began working for Western Union. He was advanced to
become the traffic chief and then wire chief, working the 5:30

In addition to his career, Roy remained active in the Church

and at one point served as superintendent of the ward Sunday
School, as assistant to the high priest group leader, and in a ward
bishopric. He was ordained a high priest by Steven L Richards
in 1927.

Home Life for Roy and Irma

One of the houses Roy and Irma lived in was located at 1424
South Fourteenth East. Several in the family referred to that
house as built by Roy, but no one mentioned if he oversaw the
189

construction or if he actually wielded hammer and saw. However, in view of his woodworking abilities, it seems likely that the
house was actually constructed by him. At the time, not many
houses were located in the area, and it was likely one of the first
homes on the street. It wasnt too far from Uintah School, which
was located five or six blocks away. There was a large cherry
tree in the back of the house and the Bitner kids loved to climb
it, especially during the early fall when the cherries were ripe.
These homes were heated with coal furnaces. Coal was delivered through a basement window and stored in a coal bin near
the furnace. Later on, they had gas, which was a huge improvement.

few rifles, one an old .22-caliber rifle. He also had fishing poles,
duck decoys, bullets, and all sorts of other fun and interesting
things to look at and handle.
Roy and Irma slept apart during their later years. Roy slept
in a small room at one end of the upstairs hallway and his wife
slept in a much larger room across the hall. Roys bed was small;
in fact it may have been a metal cot. Roys son, Robert, (Bob),
had began building crystal radio sets as a youth and there was a
successor to those sets located in Roys bedroom. It was a fine
short wave radio that could tune in all sorts of far away places.

Roy actually built four or five houses in a row. As he was

in the real estate business, he had opportunities to acquire the
ground. The problem was that it was around 1927 and times
were depressed. Unfortunately, he lost them during the Depression. In fact, he lost everything, including the mortgage on the
home on Fourteenth East.
The Bitner house that Roys grandchildren knew was acquired after the Fourteenth East home. It was located on Twelfth
East, just a few houses down from Second South. The house was
white brick, two stories tall, and had blue painted shutters. The
three bedrooms were on the second floor, up a creaky but carpeted stairway. The main floor had a small front room, the dining room, a kitchen, and a back porch. A bathroom must have
been located on that floor as well but is not certain. The basement of the Bitner home was one of those wonderful basements
one can imagine in an old home during the 30s and 40s. This
was where Roy kept his hunting gear. He had built a wooden
storage hutch under the stairs, which could be opened by inquisitive hands and inside was all this really great stuff. He had a

Irma, Joan, Helen, Roy, and Bob at Christmastime

The room also had a book case and small desk. His room was
always very neat and organized.
Irmas bedroom, located just across the hall from her hus190

band, was always cluttered. There were many bottles of perfume,

tissues, and medicines covering the night stand beside the bed.
The bed itself was covered with great mounds of bed covers and
clothing was strewn about. Her grandchildren recalled the distinct odor of Grandma permeating the air. At the other end
of the hallway, there was another room and a bathroom across
from it. The bathroom was distinctive because of the black tile
that was used as trim around the sink and tub. The extra room
was just that because during most of time they lived in the Bitner
home, no children occupied that bedroomthat back room was
used as a study. There were French doors that opened onto an
open air platform on top of the back porch.

with flowers of the season nearly always in bloom. There were

lilacs, peonies, and in the fall, zinnias would be in full bloom.
Next to the garage, along the alley, he planted hollyhocks, which
could be made into flower dolls by connecting a bud to the main
flower with a toothpick. He also took particular care of his roses
and his daughter, Mary, related a charming and humorous episode regarding these particular flowers:
One of my sweetest memories of [Dad] includes a yearly argument between him and Mother about raising roses. Mother would
watch him out in the back yard, pruning the roses down to practically nothing, and she would declare in exasperation, Roy, the
way youre pruning those roses down to the roots is simply awful.
. . . Youre going to kill them for sure this time. And he would
calmly go on cutting as he said, Now Irma, dont get excited . .
. I know what Im doing. And sure enough, the next June Dad
would come in from the garden to solemnly present Mother with
his most perfect rose. This would be done shyly like a small boy,
but if you were to look closely, you would see the mere hint of a
cat eating the canary glint in his eye. This little episode would
be repeated once every year, and with the same results.7

The stairway going up to the second floor bedrooms was

very interesting. Even though it was double or maybe triple
carpeted, it squeaked terribly as one walked up. Roy and Irmas
son Bob remembered that if he was ever late returning home at
night, he was dead because he could never get up that stairway
without being heard by his parents.
The Twelfth East home sat on a steep hill, and in the winter
the grandchildren would ride sleighs on the slope in front of
the house. In the fall, the leaves from the huge trees of the area
would collect in piles on the hill and they could run through
them, feeling the leaves crunch underfoot and smelling their
pungent and distinct odor. The back of the house had a small
flat piece of grass and behind that, going up the hill to the fence,
was Roys rock garden. It was planted with mostly roses, but
there were other varieties of plants as well. It seemed there
were several kinds of thorny willows. The bushes had thorns
on them so the children didnt do much prowling through that
briar patch. Helen Wilcox, one of Roys daughters, described her
father as a diligent gardener with the yard always looking nice

Stature
Roy Bitner was about average height, just under six feet tall,
and of moderate build. He had a prominent nose that wasnt unattractive and which all of his children seemed to inherit, including his daughter, Elizabeth, who was herself a beautiful woman.
His daughter Mary told of remembering her father as wearing a
bowler hat.

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Roy as a Father
Roy had a somewhat reserved personality, but that isnt to
say he was distant from his family or his grandchildren because
all his family all loved and respected him. His own children all
loved him, and he was remembered as being kind and gentle
and interested in his family. His son, Bob, said, Dad was a great
experience in my life. Roy spent a lot of time with Bob, perhaps
even to the exclusion of others in his family. He took Bob quite
often on his real estate outings and other work he had to conduct. Roy and Bob were very close and had a great relationship
together.
One particularly memorable occasion occurred when Clayton Dunford, husband of Roys daughter Elizabeth, was invited
to go on one of Roys hunting trips. These were apparently very
big events as Roy and his buddies would take horses, trailers,
tents, and provisions and be gone for a week or more at a time.
The fun and excitement, the friendships, with evenings around
a campfire, were especially compelling draws.
Perhaps with encouragement from his father-in-law, or at
least with his father-in-law as an example, Clayton purchased an
axel and set of wheels to be used in the construction of a trailer,
which was pulled behind the family automobile. He built a box
structure, painted it brown, and attached it to those wheels. This
trailer was built for the specific purpose of hauling his food
and hunting gear, but it had other utility uses. Roy had built a
large box and attached it to the side of his car for a similar hauling purpose. Claytons trailer wasnt small by any means. It was
about six or seven feet square and had sides that were eighteen
or twenty inches high. Because Clayton had been invited to go
on this trip that Roy was taking, he purchased the appropriate

Roy and Irma around time of daughter Helen and Harold Wilcoxs marriage

gear and spent a lot of time packing. When he finally left for the
hunt, that trailer was completely filled up and covered with a
canvas tarp that was tied down to protect the contents.
Notwithstanding such comments about Roys interest in his
family, being around him wasnt always easy for his sons-in-law,
at least for Clayton. On returning home from this trip and several months later, Clayton recalled to his son, Carlos, that he had
had a great time, but that Roy was a little hard to get along with
because Roy thought he (Clayton) couldnt handle horses very
well and that Roy had corrected him frequently.
Roy also made efforts to teach his children the importance
of honest and Christ-like character. It is evident that, throughout
his life, Roy developed a keen sense of discernment and Christlike understanding in his dealings with others. In one letter

192

to his daughter Mary, dated 21 January 1964, Roy wrote, Of

course it is easy to misunderstand peoples motives at times, but
if we can just analyze their real meaning and intentions (which
so often are misunderstood), and be very generous in trying
to understand their real intent, I believe that some . . . things
which seem to be criticism . . . could be given a second look
[and] maybe they would actually be trivial.

and creative they thought it was.

There is a family story that illustrates Roys creativity and
willingness to take on major building projects. He was building
what some remember as a boat downstairs in the family house
on Fourteenth East. However, as he was nailing it together,
found that one of the house supports was in the way and so the
boat had to be taken apart.

Roys Hobbies

Roy also used his woodworking talents to serve others. The

family mentioned lengthy service to an apparently widowed
woman while serving in the Wasatch Ward high priest group
leadership. He spent a lot of time remodeling her home and
didnt get much help from the other quorum members.

Roy Bitner was very talented with his hands. He had workshops in his homes that he used frequently. There also was a
shop associated with the Church that he could use and often
took his son Bob with him to work on projects he was interested in. The Great Depression of the 1930s was raging and
money was scarce during much of Roys adult life. As a result,
many of the Bitner familys Christmas toys were made by his
hands in that shop and in the various other shops he had built
in the family homes. He made sleds, doll carriages, boxes, and
the like. The family remembered an especially handy box that
he made to carry gear for hunting and fishing trips. This box
was attached to the side of the family car and rested on the running boards and was then bolted to the car to make it secure.
Early automobiles had a running board, one on each side of
the car, running almost the length of the vehicle. They were
used as an intermediate step up into the automobile. The box
had compartments and a drop-down side that supported a table. The idea and design for the box likely came from the times
that Roy, as a young lad on the family farm, went to work in the
mountain sheep pastures. Sheep herders were known to travel
with covered wagons that had all sorts of conveniences for the
shepherds lengthy stay in the hills. All the Bitner children seem
to remember that side car box and mentioned how unique

Roy was an avid handball player. He played two or three

times a week with the same three fellows for over fifty years,
a major commitment of time and energy. This activity kept
him trim, together with swimming, but he developed a small
paunch as he got older. Especially on Saturdays, he would take
Bob with him to the gym and afterwards Bob would watch as he
enjoyed a swim. In those days, men and women swam separately
and the men swam sans suit, meaning that they swam in the
nude. Afterward, they would then go to the Grab-a-teria, a
businessmans eating place not far from the McEntyre Building, where Grandpa had his real estate office. The Grab-a-teria was famous in those days for great sandwiches and for the
friendships and business relationships that could be developed
there. There were no chairs or tables. Men just stood around and
ate their meals.

193

Grandpa Makes Time for His Grandchildren

Roy was a kind and thoughtful man, especially with his
grandchildren. The grandchildren who knew him remember
him as a nice-looking man with blue eyes and thinning hair (but
never having a hairpiece that anyone remembers) and that he sat
ramrod straight on his horse, especially when riding in a parade.
Horses and caring for them were an important part of Roys life,
and he would invite his grandchildren to ride, spend time with,
and help care for the horses.
He had several horses over the years. There were Sinbad and
Fox, as well as Dexter and Major. When Roy became a member

Sheriff s Posse marching in the Days of 47 Parade - Roy is 2nd row, far right

of the Salt Lake County Sheriffs Posse, he rode in many of the

annual Days of 47 parades. He was a pretty shrewd judge of
a horses character. Roys grandson, Dan Dunford, had an unusual and special relationship with him, which showed a tender
and caring side of his personality. Dan was the beneficiary of a
considerable amount of his time and remembered him not so
much as his grandfather, but more as a mentor and friend. [My]
great enabler, Dan called his grandfather, and said, I was the
lucky one. I was with Grandpa at the right time and place. I

came along at a time in his life when he owned horses and I was
interested in learning more about them. Besides, I wanted to be
with my Grandpa so it was a good arrangement. Roy allowed
Dan considerable latitude with his horses, especially with Fox.
One time, however, while riding Fox, the horse was spooked by
something and suddenly began to run. The horse bolted, and
Roy carefully stepped in front of the horse and waved his arms
and yelled for him to stop. Fox finally quieted down and Dan
and his grandpa went on to enjoy the balance of a great afternoon. Fox eventually was acquired by his son Robert and spent
many years at their home in Layton, Utah.
He would also occastionally come to one of his childrens
houses to pick
up several of the
g randch i ldren
and take them
to the riding stable (believed to
have been been
named the the
Suntan
Riding Academy)
where he kept his
horses. None of
his grandchildren
acquired a love of
horses sufficient
to purchase and
care for one, but
the older ones reRoy on one of his favorite horses
membered horseback riding in the
194

hills of south Salt Lake County. Sometimes he would drive up

to his daughter Elizabeths and her husband Claytons house on
Fourteenth East and Sunnyside Avenue in Salt Lake City with
his horses in a trailer behind his car. He would unload the horses, usually with saddles already attached, and the grandchildren
would ride slowly up and down the street. They werent allowed
to ride the horse alone, but Roy would walk in front, holding the
reins, while several of the children rode in the saddle. He only
did that a couple of times, probably because of concern about
their safety because they were untrained and inexperienced riders.

and the mountain air clear and bitingly cold. They rode the horses behind adults, but it was still a great adventure. The grandchildren recalled the horses breath turning to great clouds of
steam as they exhaled the air from their enormous lungs. Climbing through the undergrowth, covered with deep snow and with
a grown man and a child on its back, the horse must have had a
difficult time. The men would stop frequently to rest the horses
and scan the hillside with a glass (binoculars) in hopes of seeing
a buck, but no deer were shot that afternoon.
His interaction with his grandchildren also extended to more
spiritual matters as he was truly concerned for the welfare of his
family. In a letter dated 7 February 1957, Roy wrote the following to one of his grandsons, Richard Colson, who was going
through a difficult time as a teenager. His touching counsel to a
struggling grandson is indicative of the testimony and faith that
he cultivated throughout his life.

This interest in his family even extended to his great-grandchildren. Judy, Roys granddaughter-in-law, remembered Roy
with grandson Dan, bringing his horses to their home in the
Butler area of Salt Lake City and taking their children for a
ride.
Another event illustrating Roys interest in being involved
with his family occurred when he invited son-in-law Clayton
and grandsons Carlos and Dave to go deer hunting with him
and several friends. The trip lasted only one afternoon and evening, but to the grandsons it was a great adventure, always to be
remembered. They went to the Holiday Park area in the Uintah
Mountains. Holiday Park was a gorgeous location. Covered with
tall pines and thick brush, the mountain sides provided all sorts
of cover and feed for critters of the hill and forest. Carlos and
Dave had been deer hunting a couple of other times with their
father, but, since he didnt have horses, on those occasions they
had to tramp up and down the hills on foot. Sometimes that got
pretty tiring. On this trip, however, they had their grandfathers
horses to ride, and that was a wonderful experience. Carlos was
maybe twelve years old and Dave only ten. The snow was deep,

Dear Richard:
Since you left our home after several months stay with Grandma and myself, I have been thinking that I as your Grandfather
would be thought neglectful if I did not extend to you some timely
and kindly advice with the thought that you might profit by some
things I have thought appropriate to say.
Last Sunday we had our quarterly stake conference in Barrett Hall on Temple Square. There four or five boys and girls
gave talks which were quite an inspiration to all. They were
all right near your age, and I know their parents were proud. I
thought of you during this meeting.
I just want you to know and remember that you are very precious in the sight of your Heavenly Father. You have been given
195

a fine healthy body and mind. You have been ordained a Priest
which in itself is a great honor and privilege. I dont [sic] want
to see you throw this great blessing away for something much less
valuable.

uncertainty, frustration will vanish. You will gain the kind of

friends you would like to know. Your course will be clear and
your success will be real. I am convinced beyond any semblance
of doubt that this will come to you.

If you will resolve to change your attitude in many ways you

will do much toward your complete happiness. To be more specific
the following might be important:

Be prayerful, be kind to your mother and little brother. Your

mother needs you, know. She has looked after you all your life.
Pat will surely look up to you as an example to live by.

1. Do not forsake your church. The church can do without you,

but you cant do without the church and be completely successful
and happy.

. . . [Grandma] sends her love and I send mine to you all.

Your loving Grandpa.


Roy H. Bitner 8

2. The world does not owe any of us a living. We have to pay

for what we get.

Holidays

3. Be helpful to others. Try to forget self at least when it comes

to the consideration of your immediate family.

Roys favorite season was the fall. One of his daughters,

4. Be clean in body and mind. Be studious and become familiar

with the works of the Saviour and Joseph Smith and other great
and good men who have been very successful, and not only those
who have gone but those who are today making their mark, contributing much to the world and to their fellowmen.
5. Choose good company. Shun those smart boys who think
its the thing to act tough. To out-smart people, to put over a
shady deal, they think its big to get away with breaking the law.
They imagine its sissy to be refined. These ideas get them nowhere
and often are their downfall.
There is much more that might be said but I know that by
becoming active in the church, obedient to its teachings that you
will be happy beyond your fondest expectation. Doubt, worry,

Back: Elizabeth holding Carolyn, Irma, Gayle, Carlos, Helen and friend,
Front: Daniel, Robert, Douglas, David

196

Helen Wilcox, poignantly observed the following:

Irmas laughter daughter Elizabeth and her sisters, would do the

dishes together. One would wash, another would wipe, etc., and
no one quit until the job was completely done. Dishes were done
soon after dinner was finished and it took almost no time it
seemed. It was all very impressive. After dishes, the older folks
would retire to the clean front room to visit, and the children
would go outside to play on the hill in front of the house.

He was born in the autumn; he was married in the autumn; his

sweetheart left in the autumn; and he rejoined her in the autumn.
These crisp, clear autumn days were the days he loved best. Perhaps because he got his first vein of this earth life in the autumn,
he gloried in the brilliance of the colors, the clarity of the sky, the
crispness of the air, and the bounties of the season. He used to
bring home the very first apples with joy and pride and offer them
to the family like treasures of gold and silver. And the flowers of
the season, though lacking the fragrance of spring and summer
flowers, he planted and tended with the same love and tenderness
he gave his children.9

Christmas was another special holiday in Roy and Irmas

home. Mary and Elizabeth, two of their daughters, spoke about
a time during the depths of the Depression when money was
especially scarce. One year, Roy and two brothers-in-law, Joseph
Felt and Albert Toronto, could only afford one tree between
them, so they cut a full-sized tree into three parts. Roy got either
the middle or bottom part because the girls remembered that he
drilled holes into the exposed trunk and fitted trimmed branches
into it to give it a somewhat triangular shape. Another memory
is when Roy and Irma used a large Japanese umbrella for a tree.
The Christmas tree account appeared in the Childrens Friend, an
early Church publication for children.

With the fall also came Thanksgiving. In the earlier years on

most Thanksgiving holidays, the whole Roy Bitner family would
gather at the family home. It wasnt exactly over the river and
through the woods, but it had that feeling about it. They lived in
what the grandchildren thought, at the time, to be a large home
(the Twelfth East home) during those years. Thanksgiving dinner at Roy and Irmas was one of the years great events for their
extended family. Food was everywhere and in great abundance.
The family all brought assigned portions, and the grandchildren
remembered having to carry pots or plates of food out to the
car to take to their grandparents. For Thanksgiving dinner, the
family was divided into two groups. Little kids sat at the kids
table, separate from the old folks. When older aunts and uncles
moved away or were gone, younger grandchildren were allowed
to eat with the adults. Before Roy and Irma moved to California,
being able to sit at the big folks table was a giant step up in
adult recognition in their grandchildrens eyes.

Roys Later
Years

After the delicious feast, all the daughters, meaning Roy and

The Bitners get together

197

Roy and Irma

eventually retired
and moved to La
Jolla, California
for Irmas health.

As they aged, they seemed to feel a need for a change and to

have a respite from family problems, etc. They had a wonderful
time in La Jolla. There were relatives there and were treated royally. After several years, however, their children Bob and Elizabeth convinced them that they
should come back to Salt Lake
to be nearer their grandchildren. They moved back to Salt
Lake City and moved into the
Belvedere Apartments downtown. After returning home,
they did reasonably well and
enjoyed being with their family and grandchildren.
Roy and Irma in their later years

Roy joined the YMCA because the Deseret Gym was too crowded. He resumed his
swimming activity, but one day, while showering, he fell and
struck his head. He suffered a stroke and had to be hospitalized. It was a pretty serious event because a large hematoma was

taken out of his head during an ensuing operation. His son, Bob,
being a medical doctor, assisted the neurosurgeon with the operation. Roy was never back to his former self after the stroke.
Bob remembered, He did fair, but was just kind of down.
In her later years, Roys wife, Irma, was afflicted with colon
cancer, heart disease, and diabetes. During this time of difficulty, Roys love for his wife, as well as Irmas goodness, were
both evident in a letter he wrote to his daughter Mary: Irma is
certainly doing just thatwith all her aches and pains, she is still
optimistic and cheerful. She lived in a nursing home for the last
portion of her life and then passed away on 10 October 1965.10
After Irma passed away, Roys own health was also poor, which
required him to stay in a nursing home. One year later, on 27
October 1966, Roy Halseth Bitner passed away in an Ogden rest
home after a prolonged illness. He was buried in the Salt Lake
City Cemetery.11
Even in his old age, Roys desire to see the good in life was
a ready characteristic. In a letter written to his daughter Mary in
1964, he recorded, So at this stage of our livesa time when
we are all getting into the realm of the agedand instead of our
getting critical and sour and uncompromising with others, we
should try to be more patient, kind and try to dispel cheer instead of gloom.12 While the many hardships of his life refined
him, it was this optimism and kindness that ultimately define
Roy Halseth Bitner for his posterity.
END

Granddaughter Robyn, Roy, Helen, Irma, and Joan

198

Authors Note

6.
7.

Ibid., 3
Helen Bitner Wilcox, Appen. from The Life Story of Roy Halseth
Bitner (1998), 63
8. Roy Halseth Bitner, Letter to grandson, Richard B. Colson (7 February
1957), included in The Life Story of Roy Halseth Bitner (1998).
9. Helen Bitner Wilcox, Memory of father, Roy Halseth Bitner (31
October 1966)
10. Joan Bitner Bennett, Memories of mother (1966), 4.
11. Obituary, newspaper clipping, 29 October 1966.
12. Roy Halseth Bitner, Letter written to daughter Mary (21 January 1964).

We have written this summary about the life of Roy Halseth Bitner, who was our mothers father, to be included in a
larger history of our parents, Clayton and Elizabeth Dunford.
Elizabeth was Roys second daughter. This writing is not meant
to be definitive nor exhaustive since a much larger work about
our grandfather is available in a book written by Roys daughter,
Helen Wilcox, entitled The Story of the Family of Roy and Irma Bitner,
dated March 2000. Much of the information contained herein
was taken from Helens writing. We have also drawn information
from a personal interview with Robert Bitner (Uncle Bob), Roys
only son, conducted by Dan, as well as from our own memories
of our grandfather.

Bibliography
1.
2.
3.

Helen Bitner Wilcox, The Life Story of Irma Felt Bitner (9 August 1998).
Helen Bitner Wilcox, The Life Story of Roy Halseth Bitner (1998).
Helen Bitner Wilcox, The Story of the Family of Roy and Irma Bitner --To
Commenorate the Nineteenth Anniversary of Their Marriage (March 2000).

End Notes
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Helen Bitner Wilcox, The Life Story of Roy Halseth Bitner (1998), 1.
Ibid., 2.
Ibid., 2.


Irma Felt Bitner, Poem to Roy Halseth Bitner, included in The Life
Story of Roy Halseth Bitner (1998).
Helen Bitner Wilcox, The Life Story of Irma Felt Bitner (1998), 16.

199

200

CHAPTER SIX

Irma May Felt Bitner

1888 - 1965
By Carolyn Dunford Kasteler

201

Significant Dates and Events in the Life of

Irma May Felt Bitner

Born on August 9, Salt Lake City, Utah

Writer for student newspaper
Introduced to Roy H. Bitner
Married Roy H. Bitner Sept. 29, SLC, Utah
First daughter, Mary, born
Move to home on 1424 South 1400 East
Second daughter, Elizabeth, born
Jean, daughter, stillborn
Produced 40th Anniversary pageant for General Primary
Enrolled in Univ. of Utah drama classes
Only son, Robert, born
Produced General Conference Mutual program
Produced Prince of Pilsen comedy
Third daughter, Helen, born; directed Columbia
in S.L. Theater
Joan born; produced Model Home
Broadcastfor KSL Radio
Stock market crash, lose 14th East home
Wrote portions and helped direct LDS Church
Centennial pageant
Began working for KSL Radio writing
serial dramas
Roy and Irma purchase home on 173 So.12th E.
Became City Recorder for Salt Lake City
until 1956 (12 years)
Member of Days of 47 Committee until 1957
Moved to La Jolla, CA, with Roy
Underwent surgery for colon cancer
Moved back to SLC to the Belvedere Apts.

Irma died of colon cancer, October 8th

1888
1903
1907
1909
1912
1913
1914
1919
1920
1920
1922
1924
1926
1927

Birth
Age 15
Age 19
Age 21
Age 24
Age 25
Age 26
Age 31
Age 32
Age 32
Age 34
Age 36
Age 38
Age 39

1929

Age 41

1929
1930

Age 41
Age 42

1932

Age 44

1938
1944

Age 51
Age 54

1947
1958
1959
1960
1965

Age 59
Age 70
Age 71
Age 72
Age 77

202

Joseph, had three wives. Irma was one of six children born to
his second wife, Alma Elizabeth Mineer Felt.

Introduction
Irma Felt Bitner was born on 9 August 1888 in Salt Lake
City, Utah. She was the fifth child and youngest daughter of
Alma Elizabeth Mineer Felt and Joseph Henry Felt. She was
married to Roy H. Bitner on 29 September 1909 and had five
living children. She died in Salt Lake City on 8 October 1965.
She was seventy-seven years old. Her second living child was
Elizabeth Bitner, our ancestor.

Irmas Mother, Alma Elizabeth Mineer

Alma Elizabeth was from Sweden, the daughter of Andrew
Mineer (originally written Mineur on the church records from
Harslov) and Ingar Jensen. Alma Elizabeths parents were the
first of their family lines to accept the gospel and be baptized
into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. They became members of the church
in Sweden and soon sailed to
America with other members
of the church in May 1861
on the ship Monarch of the Sea.
Alma Elizabeth was only six
years old when she boarded
the ship and left Sweden. In
fact, the day they went on
board was her sixth birthday, 1 May 1861. Little Alma
Elizabeth and her family
then came across the plains
to Zion in John R. Murdocks
company.

Irmas Parents
To understand someone better, it is often helpful to understand a little of
their parents and how the
children were brought up.
Irma was born on 9 August 1888 to Joseph Henry
Felt and Alma Elizabeth
Mineer Felt, both of whom
were second generation
Latter-day Saints.1 Irma
was raised as a child in a
polygamist family as her
father, Joseph, was obedient to the counsel of the
leaders of The Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter-Day
Saints at the time to marry
more wives. Her father,

Back row: Vera, Louie, Etta

Front row: Joe, Joseph Henry Felt, Irma, Alma Elizabeth Mineer Felt , Mont

203

It took three and a half

months to cross the plains
and Alma Elizabeth walked
the entire distance to the val-

ley because their wagons were loaded to the bows. 2 She was
only 6 or 7 years old. They lived just a short time in the Salt Lake
Valley and then went to Mount Pleasant, Utah where they lived
for several years in the fort there. One day, when she was about
7 years old and all alone at home in the fort, a big Indian chief
came by and could smell bread that had just been baked in their
oven. He walked right into her house and saw two loaves of
bread sitting there and said, I want bread. But Alma Elizabeth
told him, You may have one loaf and me one loaf. No, he
replied, Me two loaves and then he pointed his bow and arrow
at her face! With that, she said, Take them! and then ran up to
the neighbors where her mother was visiting and there fainted
dead away! 3
They then went to live in Brigham City for one year, where
they lived in a dugout near a creek. At the time, all of the children were married, except little Alma Elizabeth and one older
sister who worked in the city. So Alma Elizabeth and her parents
lived in the dugout by themselves. To make their home more
beautiful, they would sprinkle white sand over the clay floor and
then leaves from the wild currant bushes to make it look like a
pretty green carpet. Alma slept in their one room dugout on a
pile of straw that they covered with a sheet, all under her parents
bed.4
Alma Elizabeth related that Father couldnt get a start at
anything to support us in Brigham City. He was a violinist and
not adapted to a life of farming. Andrew left for Salt Lake to
find work and left his wife, Ingar, and daughter, Alma Elizabeth,
to live alone until he could send for them. They had a little bit
of furniture and a few dishes that had survived the ocean voyage and trek across the plains, but mostly their furnishings were
very meager. They used tin cans for cups. After a time, Andrew

sent for Almas mother Ingar as he could provide for her, so

Alma had to live alone in the dugout. She said, I was never
afraid, although I was less than twelve years old. Finally, Alma
Elizabeth could go to Salt Lake, too, but she did it in several
trips, taking things to Salt Lake as people were traveling there.
She said that I had always had a weak stomach, and I could not
ride in the heat under the cover of a covered wagon . . . without
becoming sea-sick and vomiting. So I was sick all the way down
and back on every trip. 5
Even though her father was able to buy a home in Salt Lake
City, life was still hard. Alma Elizabeth learned dressmaking
when she was fourteen years old. She must have become quite
a seamstress as she made dresses for the elite and wealthiest
of the city at that time. 6 She became wardrobe mistress and
costume designer in the old Salt Lake Theater. She could also
play the piano and learned to play the guitar when she was fifteen. She was even able to teach lessons to others on the guitar.
She was a talented singer and often accompanied her own singing for guests on the piano or guitar. She sang solos and duets,
and she was in a small chorus that sang in the Social Hall, in
the Tabernacle at conference time, and in the Salt Lake Theater
between the plays.7 She even had the opportunity of singing
for the soon-to-be president of the United States, President Garfield, when he was visiting Utah for health reasons.8 She must
have truly had a beautiful voice.
Alma Elizabeth married her husband, Joseph Henry Felt,
when she was twenty years old. She was his second wife. She
doesnt say much of her marriage except for when she was pushed
to answer the question of if she had loved him, she replied, He
was a fine man. 9 With the necessity of Joseph hiding nearly
constantly from the deputy marshals because of his polygamist
204

marriages, it must have been very difficult. But polygamy was a

way of life for Alma Elizabeth as her own father, Andrew, had
taken on two more plural wives after he had first married Ingar,
her mother.

numbering from seven to ten thousand Saints. They sacrificed,

outfitted, and served the Saints as they prepared to go West.
Nathaniel was the president of this group of Saints during
the awful cholera epidemic and the fire that burned much of St.
Louis. The fire came right up to their houses and, although Nathaniel lived in a wood frame house, the fire skipped his home
and destroyed the brick home across the street instead.13 Finally,
they were able to trek west with the other pioneers. Before doing so, however, they gave much of their good furniture to the
Nauvoo Temple, so that it could be at least partially furnished
and completed. They, with all the Saints, knew that it would
soon be abandoned. It was later burned to the ground.14 Joseph was then nine years old when they began the trek west.15
As a little boy, Joseph must have witnessed his parents devotion
and great sacrifice for the church they loved, and this example
must have left an unchanging impression on his young mind.

When Alma Elizabeth was ninety-two years old, she was to

be honored at the Centennial of 1947 as one of the last of the
early pioneers at a dinner, and she was to ride in an open car in
the parade. However, she felt she was unable to do this, so when
Elder David O. McKay heard about it, He went to her apartment, picked her up in his arms, and put her very gently into his
car and drove her to President George Albert Smiths apartment
for a visit with them and the Days of 47 Queen.10 She died on
29 July 1950 when she was ninety-five years old in her home at
150 North Main Street of causes incident to age. 11

Irmas Father, Joseph Henry Felt 18401907

Little is known of Josephs childhood, other than what can

be surmised from the known history of Nathaniel, his father.
Joseph was born in Salem, Massachusetts, and came to Nauvoo
with his parents. In Nauvoo, another little boy was born to the
family in 1846. They named him Nathaniel Preston.16 Later, as
mentioned above, they went to St. Louis, rather than trekking
west just yet. When they were in St. Louis, he must have known
that his father, the president of the St. Louis Conference, was
not home because he was caring for the sick hour after hour,
without stopping sometimes to eat or sleep, . . . visiting, administering, and comforting them in their pain, cheering them,
advising and guiding them.17 Here, a little three-pound girl was
born into the family in 1849. Her name was Margaret Eliza, and
she nearly died at six weeks old of smallpox. Then with the three
little children, Joseph being the oldest at nine years old, they

Joseph Henry Felt was born on 9 May 1840 in Salem, Essex,

Massachusetts, to Nathaniel Henry Felt and Eliza Ann Preston.
Joseph was their only child when they learned of The Church
of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and moved to Nauvoo. Nathaniel was twenty-seven years old, and Eliza Ann was not quite
twenty-three. Nathaniel and Eliza lived in Nauvoo for a time
and would have gone west with the Saints when they were expelled but because of his weakened physical condition due to
over-exertion in assisting the remnant of his co-religionists
across the Mississippi and the near-invalid state of Eliza, they
were counseled to go to St. Louis for a time.12 In St. Louis,
Nathaniel served valiantly as the president of the St. Louis Conference (similar to what is called an LDS stake today), then

205

began to head west and arrived in Salt Lake City on 6 October

1850. They lived on upper Main Street, just opposite the Heber
C. Kimball residence. At first they lived in tents and wagons, but
in the spring they built an adobe house with two rooms.18
Joseph was a hard worker. When he was sixteen years old, he
wrote in his journal of his day:
Up at 5 a.m. Swept out the store . . . dusted before John arrived,
went to breakfast, milked my cow, then waited or walked it down
to the herd, sawed wood for the house then . . . worked in the
garden, weeded strawberries, cut strawberry stringers, put wire
around the cherry tree, watered potatoes then went back to the
store. When I was finished at the store I came home to irrigate
the garden and milk my cow again. 19

handy! Later still, he took a third wife, Elizabeth Liddell, on

29 March 1882 when he was forty-two years old. In his history,
his wives are known as Louie, Lizzie, and Dell. He had thirteen
children from all three wivesLouie had none, Lizzie had six,
and Dell had seven.21
During Josephs lifetime, the United States, under President Grover Cleveland, was investigating grievances against
those practicing polygamy. As Joseph was one of these, along
with many other brethren of the Church, including President
Lorenzo Snow, he spent much of his adult life being hounded by
deputy marshals across the land. It can be assumed that money
was tight for Joseph as he could work for only short periods
before he had to move on to avoid being arrested. He wrote in
his journal,

However, he seemed also to have enjoyed the typical entertainments of his day as he conceded that he attended concerts
and plays almost every week with friends or family. . . . [We]
went often to the Literacy and Musical Society. 20

I kept moving Lizzie [Alma Elizabeth] and Dell around so

they will not be caught. Oh it is hard to leave the little ones when
they would cling to me and cry, Papa dont go, stay with us. I
have spent many months grabbing time with my family here and
there. It is hard not having a home to call our own.

He went on a mission to the Scandinavian Mission when he

was twenty-three years old and there learned to speak Danish,
Norwegian, and Swedish. When he returned from his mission,
he met and married his first wife, Louise Bouton, on 29 December 1866. He was twenty-six years old. Louise later became
known as Louie B., and she became the General Primary president of the Church. Several years after he had married Louise,
he was obedient to Church leaders counsel to take other wives.
So when he was thirty-five years old, he married Alma Elizabeth
Mineer on 23 August 1875. She was only twenty years old. She
was a pretty little girl from Sweden, so the language that Joseph
had learned on his mission to Scandinavia must have come in

On another occasion, he recorded,

I am very anxious about the marshals. I went down to pick up
Dell and the baby to take them up to James Savilles and then
afterwards took Lizzie, who is in delicate condition and Ettie
to Bro. Berinus. . . . One of the Bros. came and told me that
the marshals were fixing to get me. I better lay low. I had to go
find a place for Lizzie. So I moved Lizzie and Ettie again .
. . The mood around town is one of suspicion and not trusting
anyone.22
He went on to say,
206

Trying to keep in touch with Dell and Lizzie is such strain,

traveling night and changing beds very often. The news is all
dark, will I ever be free to have a home and family together, here
I am an outcast. My home is desolate and my family is scattered
in six different places . . . The deputy marshals broke into my
home and ransacked everything. Broke open my desks and left
drawers inside out and even went into the cellar where they broke
the door off the hinges . . . Our friends and ward member have
turned against those that have followed the principal.

wrote,
I spent lots of time walking through mud and rain on the prairie
and the hills of Oklahoma. Wondering if there will be a place
to sleep or get out of the rain. Sometimes sleeping on cold floors
of cabins where people had little more for themselves and eating
what fare they could supply.24
When Joseph was fifty years old, he and his first wife, Louie B., were estranged. They had been married for twenty-four
years. The year was 1890.25 Little is said in Josephs journal
about the separation, though this must have been a very difficult
thing for him.

It can only be wondered if little Irma was one of the tiny

children, clinging to her fathers coat, pleading with him to stay
home and not go.

Joseph died in 1907 when he was sixty-seven years old. He

was a true Latter-day Saint, willingly performing any duty required of him by the Church and suffering much hardship and
heartache. One of his daughters (Etta Felt Toronto) said in her
history that he was a leader from his boyhood and . . . a wonderful example. 26 His testimony was strong, and he was obedient in all things. During his many absences from his wives and
children, his conviction was that as he gave his children and
wives blessings, they would be taken care of in his absences. His
admonition was may we try to appreciate the blessings we enjoy. Give thanks and praise to the giver of all good.27

When
he
could,
during
these difficult
years, he worked
at ZCMI in their
glass and tin ware
department and
in the crockery
department and
also doing some
Irma with her brothers
d r u m m i n g
for them, which
means selling things to stores for people. He also served at
least two more missions for the Church while he was in hiding
from the authorities, and maybe more. He went to the Indian
Territories in Oklahoma and later to New England. His missionary experiences were difficult, with much physical hardship
walking through rain and snow and relying on the goodness of
people to put him up at night and feed him. In his journal he

Irmas Youth
Irma was born on 9 August 1888 in Salt Lake City, Utah,
probably in the home of her parents as children were not born
in hospitals in those days. Little is known of Irmas youth. But
because we know that she was one of the children of a polyga207

mist when the practice was outlawed by the United States government, we also know that Irma and her siblings were moved
from place to place and put into hiding often. Perhaps this is
the reason that when Irmas children pried her to talk about her
childhood she was reluctant to say much
of it.28 Her sister,
Etta, however, revealed that Irma was
a beautiful, sunny
child. She also went
on to say that their
mother, Alma Elizabeth, who was the
wardrobe
mistress
and seamstress for
the Salt Lake Theatre
and acquainted with
many of the celebrities and singers of her
time, must have found
Irma to be quite talIrma in high school, 1906
ented and taught her
many songs, dances
and recitations that provided enjoyment for the family.29 Irma
sang and acted in many ward productions at an early age. Later,
she became a student of two famous actors, Maud May Babcock
and Cyril Delevanti.30
Besides performing, Irma had many other talents, too, which
began to bud when she was just a young child. She must have
enjoyed writing. Though no stories or poems or examples from
school are had by any of her children, a sample of her literacy is

found in a letter she wrote as a young girl (twelve years old, 18

February 1901) to her life-long friend, Irene Kleff. She writes
to Irene, I received your most welcome letter today and then

Irma and her brothers and sisters (she is top center), 1908

at the end, Twas ever thus.31 Was this how young women of
twelve spoke in those days, or was this her literary heart coming through? Also, just two years later in 1903, it is known
that Irma was a writer or contributor to a newspaper called The
East Side Push. This was a newspaper that was published by the
students of old Bryant School, later East High School.32 Four
thousand copies were printed to sell for ten cents each. Many
businesses bought advertisement space for the paper from the
students, and the venture was called a success.33 Later in life,
the plays, pageants, and radio broadcasts that she wrote were
myriad in number, but the seeds were there in her youth.

208

Irmas Adult Life

as she knew some of her friends had done, and supporting Dad
[Roy] in his desire to become a dentist; and five, she must have
seen later that his profession would have provided her with the
lifestyle she wanted and many of her friends enjoyed. Perhaps
there was not enough money
for dental school or perhaps
Irma was just lonely for Salt
Lake and her mother, whom
she adored. But for whatever the reason, Irma and
Roy came back to Salt Lake
City after just a short time in
Kansas.38

One of Irmas brothers, Joe, introduced Irma to Roy Bitner

when Irma was about nineteen years old. She was furious at Joe
because she was in the front of her home, helping to lay a cement sidewalk . . . when she was all sweaty, her hair in disarray
and in dirty clothes. 34 She was so angry that she took an immediate dislike to [Roy]. But Roy wasnt put off by her appearance or her anger [and] just laughed. They started keeping
company and were married on 29 September 1909 in the Salt
Lake Temple by Joseph Fielding Smith when Irma was twentyone years old and Roy was twenty-three.35
When they were first married, they went to live on the family
Bitner Farm, which was located in Salt Lake City, on about 4800
South and just below Highland Drive. The farm was owned by
the Bitners for many years and then was sold to the Smith family
and still later was sold to its present owners, Salt Lake County,
who turned it into a park for public use. The Bitner farmhouse
used to stand where the park pavilion stands today.36

After Irmas first miscarriage, her first surviving

child was born on 16 May
1912 in Salt Lake City
Mary, a daughter. Irma and
Roy were living at Irmas
Mary, Irma and Elizabeth, 1919
mothers home at 110 South
Seventh East when Mary was born. Soon they moved into their
first real home at 1424 South 1400 East in Salt Lake City. This is
the first home that Elizabeth, their second child, called home.39

Living on the farm gave Roy a chance to see if he liked farming, and he soon found out he didnt.37 So Irma and Roy went
to live in Topeka, Kansas where Roy hoped to go to dentistry
school and work as a telegrapher. Irmas daughter, Helen, recorded in her history that this period of time in Irmas life, from
1909 to 1912, must have been difficult because she would never
talk about it later. Helen believed that there were five reasons
for this: One, she didnt like to mention her dislike of life on
the farm; two, the miscarriage was probably very frightening
[Irma had a miscarriage in about 1911]; three, she needed her
mother at that time; and four, she was ashamed later that she insisted on returning home to Salt Lake instead of sticking it out

Elizabeth was born 29 April 1914, two months premature.

Irma was very sick at the time with diphtheria, according to the
history that Elizabeth Bitner wrote. Perhaps her illness was the
reason for Elizabeths premature birth. When Irma went into
labor, they called Dr. Jane Schofield to come in a hurry. She
was very worried about Irmas condition and could do little for
the little two pound, fourteen ounce baby girl who was born.40
But while the doctor was caring for Irma, the babys grandma,
209

Alma Elizabeth Felt, who was present at the birth, wisely took
the little newborn baby and smoothed her little body with olive
oil, wrapped her in cotton wool and placed her in a shoe box41
perhaps near the open door of the Miller oven42 to keep her
warm. Grandma Felt and others fed Elizabeth with a medicine
dropper, and her father Roy made her a little homemade incubator of sorts out of a box with a lamp contraption figured into
it.43 It was enough to keep her warm but not burn her sensitive premature skin. Tiny Elizabeth grew and matured, thanks
to the loving care and faith
of her grandmother, Alma
Elizabeth Mineer Felt, who
cared for her night and day
until Irma was strong enough
to take over. Little Elizabeth
was named after her grandmother, a very special woman
in her life.

of this baby later gave the name Jean as the middle name of
one of her own daughters Gloria Jean Dunford.
Then just over two years later, Irma and Roy had another
child, Robert Bitner, and gratefully he lived and thrived. How
especially proud and happy they both must have been to finally
have a son, too! He was born on 12 January 1922.45
It is speculated that after Roberts birth Irma may have had
one or more miscarriages, but when
there was something Mother [Irma]
didnt want to talk about, she would
feign a vague memory, [and then later]
. . . would admit that she didnt want
to discuss it. 46
Five years after Roberts birth,
Irma had another living baby, little
Helen on 31 August 1927. She was
frail and weighed in at only about
four pounds and had somewhat of
a struggle getting well-established.
But she made it! Then Joan, their
lastborn, was born two years later on
7 May 1929 in the year of the Great
Depression.47

Five years later (November 1919), Irma had another

daughter. She was apparently full-term, but whether
she was stillborn or alive at
birth is not known because
the doctor wrote stillborn
on the death certificate, yet
Irma was a go-er as Robert, her
Irma with Mary on left, Elizabeth on right, and Bob on her lap, 1924
her parents insisted that she
son, remembered her.48 While she was
lived a few moments. Her grave
raising children, she was also involved in Primary as the Priin the cemetery family plot is unmarked. They named her Jean.
mary president, on the stake board, and with assignments on
This must have been a hard loss for Irma as her daughter Helen
the Primary General Board of the Church. In 1920, just seven
recalled that Irma always became low, with a quiet sadness in
months after the birth and loss of Jean, Irma produced a huge
her eyes when she was mentioned.44 Elizabeth Bitner, in honor
210

presentation marking the

fortieth anniversary of the
Primary and the presidency of Louie B. Felt, who
was her fathers first wife.
The production involved
250 Primary children and
many leaders from several stakes and wards. It
was called The Birth and
Growth of Mormonism
was presented in the Salt
Lake Theatre.49

Irma, 1928, age 40

Even though Irma was busy writing and producing for

church and civic groups, she was still trying to have her family.
She had only two living children at the time, and she would have
three more. Somehow she interposed these pregnancies and the
rearing of children with writing and directing. But the programs
she was writing were not just simple little skits. They were fullblown productions that must have taken a huge amount of energy to write and produce. For instance, the same year she had
Robert, she wrote and produced a play called The Nativity for
the Sunday School of the Wasatch Ward, which had a full orchestra and scenic effects.52 How many of todays ward productions have scenery and whole orchestras!? Clearly, Irma enjoyed
having huge casts and loved the grandness of big shows!
In 1924, she went on to produce more programs for the
Church, for the Primary and for the 29th general conference of
the Mutual in the Tabernacle. She was only thirty-six years old.
In 1926, she produced a comedy for the stake called The Prince
of Pilsen. She also helped with a legend called Columbia that
was presented in the Tabernacle on 4 October 1926. Then a year
later, she rewrote the program of Columbia and directed it
on 28 September 1927, this time at the Salt Lake Theatre. This
second time around, she was also the mother of her fourth living
childlittle Helen born only one month earlier. Imagine trying
to direct and present a program of this magnitude with a one
month old babe in your arms!53

Irmas Drama Involvement

Sometime after the loss

of baby Jean, Irma enrolled at the University of Utah and attended drama classes from 1920 to 1921.50 She involved herself
busily in plays at the University and kept writing and producing
skits and programs for her church friends and now others as
they asked her to. Her talent was becoming more and more appreciated by others.
It must have been about this time that she and her good
friend, Josie Goff, decided to start an enterprising venture called
The B-G Studio (Bitner-Goff Studio). This was a business
that would prepare programs for groups made up of the many
talented singers, dancers, and actors with whom Irma was becoming more and more familiar.51

In 1929, when Irma was almost forty-one years old and having her last child in May of that year, she was also working on
a radio show for KSL that would be produced the next month.
It was called Model Home Broadcast and was about a happy
young couple settling into their new home. Joanie was only
one month old when the second episode of the radio show was
211

broadcast.54
In 1929 and the spring of 1930, Irma was asked by the Church
to be involved in the writing and directing of the centennial
pageant for the Church, commemorating the one hundredth anniversary of the organization of The Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints. It was called The Message of the Ages and
was held in the Salt Lake Tabernacle. This was a massive assignment with many problems to be overcomedraperies, lights,
manipulation of curtains, costumes and
color schemes, dressing rooms, and
composition of tableaux.55 Her children were still very youngJoanie was
only one year old and Helen was only
three. But she accomplished her part of
the production and it was a huge success.

imagine a little impressionable girl watching these performances

with awe, maybe even from the sidelines, and then trying to
imitate what she saw as little children often do. It is known for a
fact that her mother taught her many songs, dances, and recitations57 and that little Irma delighted everyone with her talent
and showmanship. She must have had such fun! The love of
theatre and performance were being sown and the roots were
taking hold as one can imagine her abilities being applauded
and appreciated by her family. As a young
married woman, she must have continued
to enjoy the arts and probably eagerly accepted assignments to help with the road
shows and skits needed for church. Later
on, when the real estate business that her
husband Roy was involved in would sometimes go flat, Irma must have had the
vision to see that entertainment could be
a way for her to augment the family income.58

Irma continued to have wonderfully

creative years with scripts for various
radio programs, convention entertainShe started to work for KSL Radio in
ments, entertainment and historical ma1932. Robert, her son, called her the first
terial for business and professional meetsoap opera writer because she wrote seings, community and university affairs,
rial dramas for the radio that became very
church and patriotic programs and perpopular. At the time, however, they werent
sonal tributes of various kinds.56 Yet, it
written to sell soap, as the first real soap
is interesting to speculate how and why
operas were. She wrote two very popular
she started into the field of entertainserials called Mary and John and Good
ment in the first place. Irmas mother,
Morning Judge.59 Robert said that her
Alma Elizabeth was the costume deserials were written before the first naIrma as a well-known writer and dramatist
signer and wardrobe mistress for the
tionally famous soap operas like Amos
Salt Lake Theatre and so maybe took Irma
and Andy and The Shadow came into being. Mary and
to some of these plays and productions as a little girl. One can
John was about a handsome young man and a beautiful young
212

lady who fell in love

and started to build
their dream home.
Robert said that the
dream home stills
stands today and
is an actual home
on Highland Drive
in Holladay in Salt
Lake City. Good
Morning
Judge
was about the ad- Irma swearing in city officer, presumably Mayor Glade
ventures of various
policemen and always ended happily. Irma found many of her
stories by becoming good friends with the policemen in Salt Lake
City and then dramatizing happenings from the police records.
This all took place when radio was still very new. Children and
families would gather around the radio for these weekly serial
dramatizations and follow their progress eagerly. Irmas son,
Robert, remembers as a little boy, running to hear his mothers
programs on the radio.60

stop. She continued to write programs for the Church, for

friends, and for the same organizations that she had become
acquainted with at KSL.62 In 1947, the Church presented The
Message of the Ages in the Salt Lake Tabernacle a second time
as it had been done earlier in 1930. Irma had written two important sections of this productionthe birth of the Savior and the
resurrection of the Savior. This time, however, her daughters
Joan and Helen took the parts of Mary the mother of Jesus, and
Mary Magdalene, respectively.62 How much fun the daughters
must have had participating in this tableau!
For ten years (1947 to 1957), Irma was a member of the Days
of 47 Committee whose efforts celebrated the arrival of the pioneers in the Salt Lake Valley on July 24th 1847. She wrote, directed, and produced parts of pageants and celebrations during all of
those ten years.64 Some of Irmas most spectacular productions
were her parts of these celebrations which were held for several
years at the University of Utah stadium. These must have been
truly remarkable. They were described with such adjectives as
stupendous, magnificent, tremendous, spectacular, glorious,
dramatic, memorable, and moving.65 She, along with the other
writers and producers, knew how to use the night stars, lighting,
and music at just the right moment to heighten the effects they
wanted.

In 1944, an entirely new challenge came to Irma when she

was asked by the new mayor of Salt Lake, Mayor Earl J. Glade,
to be the city recorder. Irma had worked with Mr. Glade as he
was one of the administrators at KSL Radio. The gladly accepted, though she felt very unqualified for a job in government.
Roy encouraged her and supported her, however, and she went
ahead. Her experience with public relations at KSL helped to
prepare her for this important work.61 She thereafter worked in
this capacity until 1956, a total of twelve years.

In 1948, the Days of 47 pioneer celebration was again held

at the University of Utah stadium. But this year was especially
important because it marked the one hundredth anniversary of
the miracle of the seagulls in the Salt Lake valley. Irma or one of
the other directors noted this important fact and decided to use
it to make a powerful ending to the pageant. The celebration
began with the parade of the queen and her entourage, the bugle
corps and the singing of The Star Spangled Banner. Then the

Yet even then, her creative writing and producing did not
213

excitement was built as the narrator paid tribute to the hundreds

of early pioneers who came to settle this great state, all the while
accompanied by hundreds of actors who paraded onto the field
as Pony Express riders, pioneers, missionaries, Mormon Battalion soldiers, and passengers of the good ship Brooklyn. Finally,
the narrator described the massive swarms of crickets eating the
pioneers first crops and the futile efforts of the saints to drive
them off. He praised their heroic efforts, yet helped the audience see the helplessness of it all...until they began to pray for
divine help. Then coming by the hundreds, flocks of seagulls
descended upon the crickets, and gorged themselves with gutloads of them. They
then flew to the
Great Salt Lake
where they vomited
them up and returned again and
again until the crickets were destroyed
and the crops were
saved. Imagine now
the words that Irma
wrote blasting out
over the loud speakers to the masses of
spectators in that
stadium....
This is an epic
of the West. And in
memory of the seagulls, the first monument ever erected to birds
was built on Temple Square. Since that day, gulls have been
sacred in the State of Utah, protected and unmolested. Thus
Irma in her favorite fur coat

we celebrate the Centennial of the Seagull! Like the Dove of

Peace, it too became the harbinger of hope, a preserver of life.
Proudly we pause in tribute to this winged messenger, who now
flies unharmed, against the brilliance of the noonday sun, high
above a terrain of blossoming gardens, in the verdant valleys of
this, the Promised Land!
Then...at that very moment, the lights went out. In the blackness of the night, the audience sat in awe as one lone ray of light
shone into the skies, and all of a sudden one hundred seagulls
were released from their cages to fly heavenward while the chorus sang High on the Mountain Top.66 What a spectacular and
thrilling sight it must have been to the audience! No wonder
Irmas productions received the accolades they did. No wonder
she was asked to create them over and over again.

Raising a Family
Yet, while much of Irmas life revolved around her civic
and church productions and her work, she was still a wife and
mother. She had five children by now -four daughters and one
son. How did she manage her work and children? It must not
have been easy, especially during the year of the Great Stock Market Crash of 1929 and the depression years afterwards. None of
her surviving children ever remembered feeling poor as Irma
and Roy managed to provide for their needs and even many of
their wants. But in 1929 when everything crashed economically
in the country, Mary was seventeen years old and Elizabeth was
fifteen. How did things feel to these two young women? Money
must have been tight when the real estate business fell. Somewhere in that period of time, they lost their home at 1424 South

214

what neglected and distant from their mother and they would
often go to Elizabeth, their older sister, and Aunt Etta (Irmas
older sister who lived close by) for much of the nurturing and
comforting they needed and to find a listening ear. But as Helen
recalled, Irmas inaccessibility had a flip side in that it allowed
the younger girls to have a lot of freedom to play and do as they
pleased.70 Joan, Irmas youngest child, said the following of her
mother:

1400 East. It must have been a devastating time for all. But later
they were able to move into the home just two doors south at
1436 South 1400 East.67 This was the home where later Elizabeth and her soon-to-be sweetheart, Clayton, would celebrate
their wedding party.
In those days of depression and economic unrest, many mothers worked to help make ends meet, and Irma was no different.
She was a working mom and needed the help of hired girls
when the older sisters,
Mary and Elizabeth were
too busy to help with the
younger children. Most
of these helpers were
fine, except Blenda who
was not well-liked by the
children. Joan Bitner
Bennett recalled in her
written history about her
family that the girls tried
to make Blendas life as
miserable as possible
until Dad finally fired
her.68 She had slapped
one of them and used
foul language and so that
was that!

Mother was perceived to be a bit aloof and aristocratic although

she wasnt really. Oh, she had her pretensions and aspirations
to position and recognition, but she was also very down to earth.
It was the fact, I think, that she was a professional woman in
that time and place with a car of her own, and apparently very
nice clothes. The secret to her nice clothes was that she made all
her own hats herself and had salespersons in various stores who
watched for the best sales in dresses and shoes and let her know.
Considering what she did and what she wanted in life I think
she was a good sport (my father always described her so) and wise
in her way.71
As for holidays and birthdays, Irma wasnt one to celebrate
the childrens birthdays in a big way. She would sometimes take
the birthday child downtown to buy something new to wear.72
But one of the most memorable birthdays, at least for Elizabeth
as a young girl, was the birthday when her mother Irma wrapped
little gifts and put them all over the living room, all tied together
with string going hither and yon.73

At times the younger

girls, Joan and Helen, would
need to call their mother at work, and Joan recalled that Irma
had a formal voice that she put on to speak when someone
else was in the office with her.69 At times, both girls felt someTop - Joan and Helen; Bottom - Mary and Irma

But Christmas must have been Irmas favorite or near favorite holiday. This was the time when even in the poor years,
Irma went all out to make this day memorable to all. Traditionally, nothing was decorated until all of the children were in

215

bed on Christmas Eve. Then magically, wreaths would be hung

at each window and door. The tree would be decorated. The
stockings over the mantel would be stuffed with candy and toys.
A fire would be lit in the fireplace. Packages would be put under
the tree. During the Depression years, Irma didnt let the excitement die. and she and her husband Roy did their best to make
Christmas just as wonderful as ever for their children. One of
these Christmases remembered by the children was when there
were three families who decided to go in together to buy one
Christmas tree, as none of them by themselves could afford
one.74 After they bought it, they cut it up into three parts and
gave each family a section. Roy got a section which, needless to
say, did not look like a Christmas tree. So he drilled holes for
branches and just rearranged things a bit so that it looked more
like one. Another year he and Irma used a Japanese umbrella for
a tree. They took all of the fabric off of the wires, bent the wires
upwards somehow, and then trimmed it with saved tinfoil gum
wrapperssuch ingenuity.75 Elizabeth in her memoirs remembers this Christmas vividly as the most beautiful Christmas
[she] could ever remember. Irma took the parasol and hung it
from the ceiling somehow so that its handle just barely touched
the table which was laden with gifts. What a pretty sight it
must have been!
In the spring of 1937, Irma and Roy moved to their home
at 173 South Twelfth East in Salt Lake City. This was the
home that most of her grandchildren remembered. By this
time, Mary and Elizabeth were both married or moved out
and working. So Irma had just the three young children to
care for now. She was able to pursue her other interests in
cooking, sewing, and art. Irmas art productions, though, were
not landscapes and still lifes. She looked around her home and
saw her canvas there. Elizabeth in her memoirs recalls the

peacock mantel screen that Irma painted for their home. Gayle
Wilson, a granddaughter of Irmas, remembered the couch
that Irma painted with
turquoise and orange
flowers all over. One
can just imagine her
kneeling down in front
of her couch with a
large brush and oils,
painting away. And
what did her husband
Roy say when he saw
her creations?
Gayle also remembered the eggs that
Irma would make for
Bob enjoying one of Irmas meals
each grandchild at Easter time. These were eggs
that had been carefully blown out and then decorated with
theatre hair and interesting faces. Gayle remembers these eggs
as being treasures. The ordinary eggs the plainly dyed
and colored ones would be used for the Easter Egg Roll on
the lawn across the street from Irma and Roys home. But the
special eggs the ones that Grandma Irma had painted - were
gently carried home by each child in little cotton-lined cups or
boxes for safe-keeping. 76
Her children remembered Irma as being an excellent
cook77 and one who made an especially good Thanksgiving
meal. Her daughter Helen also remembered that she made the
best shrimp cocktail ever and liked to use little nut cups filled
with mints for her guests at the table. As for cakes and pies, how-

216

Irma and Mary

ever, that was a different

story! Unfortunately, they
didnt have packaged cake
mixes back then because
Helen remembered that
Irmas cakes were always
soggy, and Joan remembers
being so glad when Clayton
and Elizabeth got married
and Clayton brought them
cakes from the bakery instead. Happily, Clayton and
Elizabeth and their children
went to Irmas home almost
every Sunday for dinner,
so cakes and goodies were
plentiful then.78

sories. Later, when their finances were not as tight, Irma had a
mink stole and even a mink coat and with a revision here and
a revision there, she was quite a stylish dresser. But as a young
mother, she was frugal and was able to use her sewing abilities
to help their family stretch the family budget especially during
the Great Depression. Doubtless, her frugality and good common sense were traits she inherited from her beloved mother,
besides her sewing skills.80
Dressing wasnt the only thing that Irma did with flair. Because of her background in actingwatching it and studying
itshe was often asked to perform little funny acts for family
and friends. One of the family favorites was her act of sewing her fingers together, and this always delighted everyone,
especially her grandchildren. She encouraged the acting talents
of her children and grandchildren, too, by keeping a big green
box filled with incredible costumes for all of the children to
play with.81 When her children Mary and Elizabeth were little,
she used the girls as actresses in her plays and productions. She
did the same with her later
children Robert, Helen,
and Joan. Still later, she
encouraged her grandchildren to do little acts for
programs, too. Always
tuned in to the value of entertainment and programs
at parties, she was ready to
help with her own talents
or with the help of her
family members.
Roy and Irma all dressed up!

Sewing must have been an especially useful talent Irma had.

When her children were small, they played paper dolls under the
table while Irma busied herself at the sewing machine.79 Making beautiful fancy hats and other clothes for herself and her
children, she was not only creative but resourceful, too. When
she needed something she would look around and see what she
could use to make it with, often taking old curtains and bedspreads and turning them into new things for her home, like
dressing table skirts. When money was tight, she could do the
same thing with clothes, too. She could take an old dress and
make it look like a new one with a tuck here and a stitch there.
It is likely that she learned many of her sewing skills from her
mother, the costume designer for the Salt Lake Theatre, but her
own creativity was manifest as she learned to sew with a flair,
and then added hats, veils, gloves, and large purses as acces-

She loved to laugh and had a wonderful sense of humor and

217

sometimes told stories on herself. One story she told was about
when she was newly married and the organist was late to church
so she was asked to play the prelude. She knew only a few songs,
none of which were appropriate for church. As she racked her
brain, she could think of only one song and then immediately
thought, I cant play THAT! Oh what shall I play? She couldnt
think of anything else to play, so she thought that if she played
it very slowly and softly and paused here and there that perhaps
no one would recognize it. So slowly and quietly, she began to
play the only song she could think ofTherell Be A Hot Time
in the Old Town Tonight! The final hurrah was when only one
person knew what she was doing and quietly whispered in her
ear, Well, Irma, I think you got away with it.82

In their courting days, Joan said that Roy called Irma my dear
little girl and later called her my Sweetheart and my Pal.83
On one Fathers Day, Irma wrote a beautiful poem to her
husband, Roy:
To My Dear on Fathers Day84
These children of our youthful love have twined
Themselves into my heart. Oh, may they find
The best in lifefull strength and beauty, grace
Of soul and mind. But You, you have first place.
Together we have met the blows, the care;
At pain weve smiled, and laughed when life was fair.
In time to come theyll go their separate ways
And I shall watch as ever, love and praise
But not intrude because they are apart
Their lives their ownbut You,
You hold my heart.

Roy and Irma had a wonderful love affair with each other
and their love letters to one another were beautiful and many.

Another example of her love for family was the letter she
wrote to her daughter, Elizabeth, in 1934. Elizabeth had evidently asked her mother to write her a letter, and this was Irmas
response.
Salt Lake City, UT

January 2, 1934
My Dear Elizabeth:
I have been thinking of the request you made of me some time
ago- before you left for Los Angeles for a letter written from me
to you, and I feel a grave responsibility, intermingled with joy and
maternal satisfaction at the thought of your wanting it. And so

Standing - Bob, Helen, Joan, Roy and Elizabeth

Seated - Irma and Mary

218

Im writing a New Years letter filled with good wishes and hopes
for your future.

tion of the good gifts bestowed upon you. And remember always,
Elizabeth, that no matter where you may go, what you may be
doing, my blessing will follow you, for after all, you are my very
own little 2 pound and 11 oz. baby. How I prayed that you
might live thru those long watches of the night. And how you
have repaid the hours of care, over and over again.

I wish it were possible to put into words my feelings toward you,

my gratitude for the magnificent way you carried on my home
problems. I wish I could impart to you a little of the love I have
in my heart for you a little of the proud conceit in the thought,
that I have given birth to such a rare and beautiful child as you,
for I feel you are The Perfect Gift of God to me. Your sweetness, your patience, with the children, your tolerance of irksome
and unending home duties, together with all your tolerance of my
own failings is a potent testimony of your love for me.

Well, darling, this is an awful scrawl but I love you, and know
youll forgive it.
God bless you always,
Mother

Elizabeth, darling, I have great hopes for your future. I believe

there is practically no position in life to which you cannot aspire.
No one, however, can open the door ahead of you, but yourself,
nor can anyone else keep it closed against you. Only thru your
own efforts, your own struggles can your ambitions be realized.
Your family can only have faith in you and give you that support
in the offing. I know, Elizabeth, that you will justify my faith in
you, that you will not fall short of my expectations. Oh! How I
wish I could follow you thru the years, and watch you climb to the
glorious heights which I am sure is awaiting you. Please God, I
shall be near enough to inspire and encourage you, to strengthen
you against temptation, to protect you in danger, and to help you
hold fast to your highest ideals of womanhood, and be ever true
to the religion of your forefathers.

During all of
her life, Irma was
a devoted member of The Church
of Jesus Christ of
Latter-Day Saints.
She served in the
Primary, Sunday
School, and on
the MIA Board of
Helen, Irma and Joan
the Granite Stake.
She was frequently asked to write scripts for road shows, Relief
Society functions, and DUP (Daughters of the Utah Pioneers)
events.85

My constant prayer is that you be given wisdom to comprehend

the greatness of lifes responsibilities, to believe that its hardest
task may be made a blessing if met with a strong heart and a
good will, that you may be blessed with health and strength to
bear whatever ills may come, and that you may have an apprecia-

Her Later Years

In her later years, Irma was diagnosed with colon cancer,
heart disease, and diabetes and so became quite frail.86 Roy and
she moved to La Jolla, California, specifically to get to a lower
219

elevation to help her heart condition. 87 Then later they moved

back to Salt Lake City and lived in the Belvedere Apartments
for quite a while. Her grandchildren remembered going there
to help clean and care for their home on Saturdays. Always, she
would ask them to play the piano for her and was interested
in what they were doing at school and in their lives. And her
grandson, John Dunford, recalls lulling her to sleep with, Youll
Never Walk Alone, as she took afternoon naps. She was a very
refined and gracious woman.
When her health problems became more troublesome (she
underwent colon cancer surgery in 1959), she still remained
stoic.88 However, her needs became more extensive and it was
decided that she should go to live with her daughter, Elizabeth,
for a time in her home on Laird Avenue so that Elizabeth could
help with her care. Carolyn Kasteler, a granddaughter of Irmas,
recalled the following:
As a young girl, I remember that time when she came to live
with us. I remember my mother, Elizabeth, caring diligently for
all of her needs. I also remember being surprised as one day she
asked me,
What color rinse do you put on your hair, Carolyn? I was just
a young girl at the time and had never thought of such a thing! I
also remember her asking me to walk for her across the kitchen
floor with a book on top of my head, placing one foot carefully
just in front of the other. She wanted me to understand good
posture and what a gracious, refined walk should be!
When Irmas health continued to deteriorate, her care became too much for Elizabeth, and she had to go to a nursing
home. One day, when Joan came to visit Irma, she found Eliza-

beth in the corridor weeping from fatigue because Irma was refusing to eat. Joan went into Irmas room and after putting the
napkin under her chin said to her, All of your children have
been saving for years so you can be here in the best nursing
home in Salt Lake City and it is costing us more than a room
in the Hotel Utah. Now eat your lunch! And surprisingly she
did.89 Eventually, she died on 8 October 1965 from natural
causes 90 which were probably due to the colon cancer and her
heart condition. She was buried in the Salt Lake City Cemetery.
END

Authors Note
The task of trying to write the story of my grandmother,
Irma Felt Bitner, has been a daunting challenge for me but one
for which I am grateful. In ways that I had not known before,
I have come to respect and love this grandmother of mine who
died when I was fourteen years old. I owe much to the genius
of my aunt Helen Bitner Wilcox who is the third living daughter
of Irma, who compiled and wrote the histories of Irma and her
husband and family, as well as several of Irmas ancestors. As
Aunt Helens works are very comprehensive, I concluded at the
beginning of this writing that I wanted this history to be just a
short synopsis of Irmas life with a hope that I could somehow
portray a sense of her personality and who she really was. I have
therefore used many of Helens writings and then peppered in
personal insights from various members of the family particularly those of her three surviving children, Helen, Joan, and
Robert. I hope it will be fun and enjoyable for you to read.

220

I have come to love my grandmother in a wonderful new

way. I have come to appreciate her many talents in art, theatre,
cooking and writing. I have come to understand the amazingly
thrifty, witty, and independent woman she was. I understand
better now why she enjoyed so much watching my sister Gloria
and I perform for her, me on the piano and Gloria in dance.
What an altogether fascinating woman she was! Though she
wasnt home as much as any of her five children would have
liked, she loved each one of her children deeply. She also loved
her husband dearly. She lived her life with flair and energy
abundantly, deliberately, and authentically. I am eager to meet
her someday and hope that all of us will be as interesting to her
as she spent her life in becoming to us.

8.
Letter from Irma Bitner to her daughter, Elizabeth Bitner
January 2, 1934

End Notes
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.

12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
26.
27.
28.
29.
30.
31.

Bibliography
1.
Helen Bitner Wilcox, The Life Story of Irma Felt Bitner (9
August 1998). Referred in endnotes as Life Story
2.
Helen Bitner Wilcox , A Lineal History of Alma Elizabeth
Mineer: 2nd Wife of Joseph Henry Felt (August 2002). *Referred in
endnotes as History Alma Elizabeth
3.
Helen Bitner Wilcox (compilation) A Lineal History of
Joseph Henry Felt: Son of Eliza Ann and Nathaniel Henry Felt (August
2002). *Referred in endnotes as HistoryJoseph Felt
4.
Helen Bitner Wilcox, The Story of the Family of Roy and
Irma BitnerTo Commemorate the Ninetieth Anniversary of Their Marriage
(March 2000). *Referred in endnotes as Story of the Family
5.
Interviews with Irmas surviving children, Helen, Joan,
and Robert in the months of August and September 2003.
6.
Remembrances from Gayle Dunford Wilson
granddaughter, spring 2004.
7.
Elizabeth Bitner, daughter My Life Story and another
beginning autobiography.

221

Life Story, 5
History Alma Elizabeth, 134 but in the book numbered 4
Ibid., 97
Ibid., 114115 but numbered in book as 1314
Ibid., 116 but numbered in book as 15
Ibid., 118, says 17
Ibid., 127, says 26
Ibid., 129, says 28
Ibid., 1
Ibid., 8
Deseret News Pg. 153 of A Lineal History of Alma Elizabeth
Mineer compiled by Helen Bitner Wilcox
History Joseph Felt, 128
Ibid., 130
Ibid., 123
Ibid., 130
Ibid., 130
Ibid., 130
Ibid., 130
Ibid., 5, says 2
Ibid., 5, says 2
Ibid., 52
Ibid., 35, says 32
Ibid., 36, says 33
Ibid., 32, says 29
Ibid., 5051, says 4748
Ibid., 108
Ibid., 3
Life Story, 5
Ibid., 6
Ibid., 69
Ibid., 12

32.
33.
34.
35.
36.
37.
38.
39.
40.
41.
42.
43.
44.
45.
46.
47.
48.
49.
50.
51.
52.
53.
54.
55.
56.
57.
58.
59.
60.
61.
62.
63.
64.
65.
66.
67.
68.
69.
70.

Ibid., 6
Ibid., 6
Ibid., 19
Life Story, 19
Interview with Helen Bitner Wilcox August 4, 2003
Ibid
Life Story, 19
Ibid., 48
Ibid., 48
Interview with Helen Bitner Wilcox August 4, 2003
Interview with Robert Felt Bitner August 11, 2003
Life Story, 48
Ibid., 49
Ibid., 60
Story of the Family, 1
Ibid., 1
Interview with Robert Felt Bitner August 11, 2003
Story of the Family, 48
Ibid., 60
Interview with Robert Felt Bitner August 11, 2003
Story of the Family, 60
Ibid., 6069
Ibid., 70
Ibid., 71
Ibid., 93
Ibid., 6
Interview with Robert Felt Bitner August 11, 2003
Ibid
Ibid
Story of the Family, 99
Ibid., 99
Ibid., 101
Life Story, 144
Story of the Family., 99
Ibid., 101102
Ibid., 11, says 2
Ibid., 109
Life Story, 200
Ibid., 174

71.
72.
73.
74.
75.
76.
77.
78.
79.
80.
81.
82.
83.
84.
85.
86.
87.
88.
89.
90.

222

Story of the Family, 113

Interview with Helen Bitner Wilcox August 4, 2003
Elizabeths own story
Story of the Family, 20
Interview with Joan September 18, 2003
Gayle Dunford Wilsons remembrances
Interview with Helen Bitner Wilcox August 4, 2003
Interviews with Helen Bitner Wilcox and Joan Bitner Bennett
Elizabeths own story
Life Story, 198
Gayle Wilsons remembrances
Life Story, 196
Interview with Joan Bitner Bennett
Ibid, 70
Life Story, 182
Ibid, 201
Interview with Robert Felt Bitner August 11, 2003
Life Story, 201
Ibid, 201
Ibid, 184 (Newspaper obituaries Salt Lake Tribune and Deseret
News)

Index

University of Utah
drama classes 211
family life 208209
holidays
birthdays 215
Christmas 215
Easter 215
Thanksgiving 216217
homes
110 South 7th East 209
1424 South 14th East 209, 211
1436 South 14th East 211
173 South 12th East 215
Bitner farm 209
interests
drama 208, 211, 216
writing 211
letters
to Elizabeth 218
marriage 209
occupation
city recorder 211
KSL 211213
writer 211, 211213
parents of
Alma Elizabeth Mineer 203204, 208
Joseph Henry Felt 205207
journal on polygamy trials 206
Roy
poem to 218
relationship with 218
talents
cooking 216
drama 217
dressing well on a dime 217
painting 216
sewing 215, 216
Bitner, Roy Halseth
birth of 187

B
Bates, Betty 129
Bitner, Irma May Felt
birth 203
challenges
as a polygamist child 208
illness 219220, 220221
miscarriage 209
stillborn child 210
The Depression 211
characteristics
sense of humor 217
sewing fingers together 217
childhood
polygamy life 207208
writing begins 208
children of
Elizabeth 209
comments on 216
Helen 210
comments on 196, 209, 215
Joan 210
comments on 215
Mary 209
relationship with 215
Robert 210
comments on 210
church service
callings 210211, 219
pageant productions 211, 211213
courtship 208209
death
illness 220221
description of 208, 216
education

235

challenges
financial effect of the Depression 190
Irmas illnesses 198
stroke 198
characteristics of
helping others 189
modest and unassuming 189
scrupulously honest 189
testimony of Jesus Christ 195
children 188
Elizabeth
comments on father 191
Helen
comments on father 189, 191
Mary
comments on father 191
relationship with children 189190, 191192
Robert
comments on father 191
church experiences
assistant high priest group leader 189
baptism at eleven 187
counselor in ward bishopric 189
ward Sunday School superintendent 189
courtship 188
death of 198
description of 189, 191
holidays
Christmas 195
Fall season 196
Thanksgiving 196197
homes of
173 South 12th East 190191
Big Cottonwood family farm 187, 189
La Jolla, California 195
interests
gardening 189190, 191
grandchildren 191, 192, 194195
handball 192

horses 192, 194

Sheriff s Posse 194
hunting 192
swimming 192, 195
woodworking 190, 192
Irma
poem about Roy 188
letters
to grandson Richard 195
to Mary 191, 198
marriage 188
occupations
dentist dream 189
real estate 189
telegrapher
Oregon Short Line Railroad 188
Rock Island Railroad 188, 189
Western Union 189
parents of
Breneman Barr Bitner 187
Maren Marthine Halseth 187
teachings of
The world does not owe us a living. 195
be clean in body and mind 196
be helpful to others 192, 196
be prayerful 196
choose good company 196
do not forsake your church 195
Bluebird Restaurant 170

C
Cabin at Pine Crest 34, 110112
activities at 35, 66, 80
construction of 34
description of 34
Cat story 6364

236

reputation 158160, 159

work at State Fair 153
parents of
Alma Bailey Dunford 153, 155
Lovinia Triscilla Clayton Dunford 153154, 155
siblings of 154, 155
sports and hobbies
fishing 159
handball 158
Dunford, Elizabeth Bitner
birth of 97, 125
celebrating holidays 120121
Christmas 101, 121122
Halloween 121
St. Patricks Day 121
Sunday dinners 114
Valentines Day 121
challenges of
cancer 123124
illnesses 123
polio experience 108109, 126
characteristics of 117, 139
as mother 129, 141, 143145
courage 140
faith 108, 123, 126, 138139
generosity 114115
influence for good 120, 143
love of others 115, 129, 137138, 140, 142, 143
patience of 146
childhood 98
children of
Carlos Bitner Dunford
birth 105
memories of 128132
Carolyn Elizabeth Dunford Kasteler
memories of 143144
Daniel Bitner Dunford

D
Dunford, Burns
invited to join bakery 28
mission in South Africa 28
Dunford, Carlos Leroy
character traits of 158
encouragement towards others 160
hard worker 156, 158, 161
high standards 160
integrity 160
childhood 155
children of
Burns Love Dunford 159
giving a gold watch 161
Love Clayton Dunford 157
comments on father 160161
Stephen Love Dunford 157
courtship 156
death of 153
description of 158
education 11
University of Utah 160
M.A. 159
thesis 159, 160
USAC (Utah State Agricultural College) 157
homes of
2314 South 8th East 158
childhood home 154155
in Dunford mansion library 157
yellow house next to Bluebird Restaurant 157
influence on others 160, 161
marriage 156
occupations
Bennett Paint Co. 156
Granite High School 158159
head of Dept. of Agriculture 159
principals comments about 158

237

memories of 142143
poem about 142143
David Clayton Dunford
memories of 133134
discipline of 128132
Douglas Bitner Dunford
memories of 138139
Gayle Dunford Wilson
memories of 134-138
Gloria Jean Dunford Lloyd
memories of 111, 144-145
John Bitner Dunford
memories of 145146
Robert Roy Dunford
memories of 139142
church experiences 97, 109110
callings 110
participation in 9798
Clayton
relationship with 112113, 114, 118, 122, 131, 142, 143
courtship 125126
LDS High School 101103
death of 50, 124
description of 118, 119, 128, 134135, 140
by Clayton 24
discipline of 128132
Dunford family clan song 116117
education
elementary school 98, 101
Stuart Training School - U of U 99
Unitah Elementary 99
LDS High School 101
Roosevelt Junior High School 101
family life 113, 126
friends 118, 140
Hazels thoughts on 19
hobbies and talents 118, 136, 142
sewing 116, 135136
various other activities 135

homemaking 106, 132

cooking ability 133, 136137
interest in health and nutrition 111, 140
fat vibrator machine 119
homes
1835 Laird Avenue 117, 117118
2314 South 8th East 104
664 South 9th East 105
868 South 14th East 106, 111
first childhood home (1424 South 14th East) 97
second childhood home (1436 South 14th East) 97
illness 47
journal 109, 118, 125127
letters
from Clayton 125
from Hazel 102103
from Roy 104
to Clayton 106
marriage 104, 126
parents of 97
Irma Felt Bitner 98
Roy Halseth Bitner 97
Patriarchal blessing of 146
relationship with Clayton 140141
siblings of
Helen
comments on Elizabeth 100, 100101, 120
Joan
comments on Elizabeth 115116
stories of
Doity Boids 130
sewing fingers together 130131
teachings of
always room for one more 110
faith of 110
homemaking skills to children 113, 114
Dunford, Hazel Love
Carlos Leroy
death of 170171

238

influence of 170, 171

challenges
as a single mother 170, 171, 173
cancer 179
character traits
friend to all 179
testimony of the Gospel 179
childhood 165167
Christmas traditions 167
dinner at 166
games 166
music 166
Sundays 166
children of
Burns Love Dunford 170
Love Clayton Dunford 169
Stephen Love Dunford 169
church experiences
callings
MIA teacher and president 173
mission 167
courtship 169
death of
Hazel 179
description of 178179
education
early childhood 167
University of Utah 167
influence of 165, 169, 174, 177, 179
friend to all 179
letters
from Clayton 177
to Elizabeth 176177
to sons 175176, 179
marriage 169
occupations
Dunford Bread Company 178
LDS High School

as a teacher 171172
Utah State Agricultural College
Board of Regents (Trustees) 169
Dean of Women 170
domestic science instructor 167
parents of
Eleanor Wilding Love 165166
Stephen Hunter Love 165
Patriarchal blessing 174
talents
baking 168
cooking 172173
eggs croquet 173
drama 179
values
homemaking 173
knowledge 167, 174
Dunford, Love Clayton
baking and cake decorating 70
Andromeda fruitcake 68
childrens wedding cakes 74, 78, 83
booties under 68
birth 10
celebrating holidays
birthdays 83
Christmas 25, 74, 79, 8283
Easter 65, 83
Halloween 47, 88
Valentines Day 78, 82
challenges of
after Elizabeths death 53
business failure 83
polio, dealing with 33, 65
character traits of 9, 59
a good provider 75
faith in the Lord 68, 70, 82, 85, 87, 88
prayers of 69
integrity 59, 65, 71, 72, 77

239

Priesthood ordinations 41
Scouting 4243
courtship 19, 8085
engagement 24
Elizabeths poem in response 23
death of 5556, 85, 90
description of
Carlos memories 57
Gayles memories 6467
education
baking school (Dunwoody Institute) 37
award from 40
letters from Minneapolis 3739
early years 15
high school 17
value of 6061, 62, 67, 78, 82, 88
Elizabeth
death of 49
effect of illness 48
feelings about Clayton 66, 77
feelings towards 24, 51, 59, 60
struggles after death of 51
family life 32
homes
1835 Laird Avenue 4243
boyhood home 12
first home (2314 So. 8th E.) 25
last home (Olympus Cove) 55
second home (668 So. 9th E.) 30
third home (868 So. 14th E.) 31, 40
Jocko the monkey 83
journal 9
letters of
to Elizabeth 25
last letter to Elizabeth 51
when courting 2021
marriages
Donna Whipple 53, 83, 132
Elizabeth Bitner 2425

temperament 57
childhood activities
games 13
pets 14
children of 30
Carlos Bitner Dunford
birth of 26
comments on father 57-61
Carolyn Elizabeth Dunford Kasteler
comments on father 7880
Daniel Bitner Dunford
comments on father 76-78
David Bitner Dunford
comments on father 6164
discipline
family rules 59
punishments 62, 70, 7172, 77, 79, 87
Douglas Bitner Dunford
comments on father 6971
Gloria Jean Dunford Lloyd
comments on father 8085
John Bitner Dunford
comments on father 8587
relationships with daughters 6467, 65, 78, 79, 80, 8085
relationship with sons 59, 6971, 71
Robert Roy Dunford
comments on father 71-76
Virginia Gayle Dunford Wilson
comments on father 6469
church experiences
callings
attention to family during callings 80
bishop 4244, 6971
first councilor in bishopric 42
release as Bishop 5253
early church experiences 14
Trail Builder program 15
mission 41

240

Dunford Bakery
Claytons resignation from 47
early days 26
beginnings 11
effect of World War II on 31
first shop (668 So. 900 E.) 28
closing of 46
growth of 46
Naborhood Bakery (2100 S. 600 E.) 26
Mr. and Mrs. Newton Lacey 26
problems with partners 46, 4748

Grace (Lucile Grace Brinkerhoof Higgs) 54, 83, 132

marriage to 87
memories of 8789, 90
newspaper articles about 64
parents of 10
Carlos Leroy Dunford
effect of death on Clayton 11
Eleanor Hazel Love Dunford 10
feelings about 11
letters from 16
Patriarchal Blessing of 9, 41
pets
giving to children for Christmas 79
Missy 66
Old Fat 14
Red Book
contents of 10, 20
purpose of 9
siblings of
Burns 11
joins the bakery 28
Stephen 10
sports and hobbies 5758
basketball 18
camping 4344
gardening 70, 75, 88
hunting and fishing 5859, 75
love of music 67, 78
piano playing 75, 88
painting 87
teachings of
Remember Who You Are 59, 72, 7576
getting along in the world 62
value of work 6162, 64, 66, 69, 7374, 75
value of nature 66
Dunford, Stephen Love
birth of 10
death of 47
joins bakery 31

G
gold watch 160161
Carlos comments on 59
Claytons receiving 22, 161, 170, 171
criteria for receiving 170, 171

H
Hi-Land Dairy
Clayton goes to work 48
Clayton released from work 46

N
Nelson, Russell M. 130

R
Remember Who You Are iii, 59, 75, 181
Robinson, Dr. Thomas
help with polio 33

241