Mary Amelia Larsen (1893-1977)

Mary Amelia Larsen was born December 15, 1893 in Molen, Emery, Utah. She graduated from the grade school in Molen district. In 1911, when she was 18 years of age, she went to Moab, Utah where she attended high school and lived with her oldest sister, Vina (Sophia Alvina). There was no high school in Ferron. She stayed there and graduated from the Grand County High School in May 1914.

During the summers she would go to La Sal, Utah and help cook at the company ranch to earn money for clothes to attend school. It was at the Cunningham ranch that she met and became engaged to Joseph Paul Turner, a nephew of Mr. J.W. Cunningham. They were married on December 8, 1914 at Ferron, Utah.

Paul and Mary left December 10, 1914 for their homestead at La Sal. Her sister, Vina, gave them a nice reception on their way through Moab. Her father, Nicholas Larsen, gave her an Indian pony for a wedding present, which she adored. The pony was high spirited and when she would put her foot into the stirrup the pony would take off on a fast gallop. She had to balance herself and get onto the saddle rapidly so she would not be thrown.

They lived at their homestead that summer and the next winter and summer. This was the happiest time of her life. From that time forward they went to Montrose, Colorado in the winter and back to their homestead in the summer. They improved upon the land and moved back to Montrose when their oldest daughter, Helen Jennie, was just one year old. They lived in Montrose two years and then sold their homestead in La Sal. They bought a farm five miles west of Montrose and lived there about two years.

Meanwhile another baby girl, Alice Elizabeth, was born. They sold their stock and implements and Paul began working at the post office in Montrose. When their first boy, Frank Paul, was born, Paul began carrying the rural route his father, Frank Porter Turner, had for 30 years with the Montrose Post Office. On August 29, 1929 their youngest son, Donald Eugene, was born.

The “good times” came to an abrupt halt in October 1935, their father, Joseph Paul, died of a ruptured appendix after three days in the hospital. In those days there were no antibiotics, so an infection of this kind was usually fatal. That was the saddest thing Mary said she had ever experienced. He died just an hour before his 44th birthday on October 8, 1935. He was buried on October 11, 1935 in the Cedar Creek Cemetery, Montrose, Montrose, Colorado.

Almost a year later, in March of 1936, Mary moved to Provo, Utah with her four children to see what she could do to make a livelihood for her family. She purchased the Decker residence at 107 East 600 North in Provo near the BYU lower campus.

Helen had graduated from Montrose High School and had a job working for the telephone company. When they moved to Provo she was able to transfer with the phone company. Mary took in college students while they attended the BYU. She charged $25 per month for room and board for each student. With her daughter Helen’s help she was able to support the family.

Alice was in her first year of senior high school; Frank was in the 7th grade of junior high school, and Donald attended the 2nd grade of the Parker Grade School. All the children helped with work and during the summer months. Frank would get up at 4:00 am to work at picking beans, strawberries, cherries, etc. on the many farms in Utah County. Frank remembers working all summer for a check for $40 with which he bought his school clothes and shoes.

They had been in Provo about three years, when Mary married, Pleasant Jenkins Tirey (P.J.) on September 4, 1938. Helen married Verl Stone on September 23, and moved to Salem, Utah. Mary sold her home in Provo for $2,000 and moved to Salt Lake City. They purchased a small grocery store at 819 Simpson Avenue in the Sugar House area. Alice had graduated from high school and Frank went to Irving Jr. High School. They all assisted in the store and Frank would deliver groceries to the customer’s homes.

The next year Frank attended South High School and enjoyed very much. He was active in band and orchestra (playing the trombone), and also in ROTC. Because he had learned to shoot a rifle in Montrose, he was soon a member of the Rifle Instructor Team and competed in matches in several Utah localities.

On June 25, 1939, Mary and P.J. had a baby girl, named Merlene in Salt Lake City at the LDS Hospital.
In July 1940, Alice had married Wayne Wheaton. Wayne had left with the Army and was overseas in Australia. She had to keep her marriage a secret so that she could keep her job. In those days, as soon as a single girl got married she had to give up her job.

In 1941, when Merlene was about two years old, they sold the store and moved back to Provo. P.J. left for about three years and went to Colorado. Mary, Donald and Merlene lived with her daughter, Alice, who was a stenographer for the gas company. They lived off Alice’s wages.

In the meantime Frank had just over a year to graduate from high school, so he stayed in Salt Lake and worked for the new owners of the store and later with a neighbor doing carpentry for his board and room so he could finish school. Donald sold newspapers and supported himself at 12 years of age. Things were nip and tuck until P.J. came back. They had no car, so they did all of our traveling by foot or by bicycle. Donald would put Merlene on the handle bars of his bike and speed her home from the movies when it was cold.

World War II broke out for the United States on Dec 7, 1941 and events began to change for everyone. Frank graduated in May of 1942 and registered with Civil Service to take aircraft mechanic training for the War Department at Hill Field, Utah.

After a period of time, P.J. came back and they decided to move to Grand Junction. Merlene was about five years old. Donald wanted to graduate from the Farrer Jr. High School, so he lived for six months with his oldest sister, Helen, in Salem and rode the train back and forth to Provo to school. When school was over he joined them in Grand Junction. P.J. went into the Real Estate business and they did better financially after that time. After Donald graduated from high school in Grand Junction in June 1947, he went to BYU to room with his brother, Frank. It left only Merlene at home.

When Donald was in his junior year at BYU, P.J. , Mary and Merlene moved back to Provo and took in roomers for one year in the home they purchased on 8th East. Then they moved back to Grand Junction and lived there until P.J. died in 1967.

Mary Amelia Larsen Turner Tirey moved to Utah a short time after P.J. Tirey died and lived with her oldest daughter, Helen Turner Stone, in Spanish Fork. Toward the end of Mary’s life, she was in the Hales Rest home where she died in Spanish Fork, Utah on April 25, 1977 at 10:30 pm. She lived to the age of 83 claiming she had never had a headache her entire life. She was preceded in death by her two husbands, her daughter, Alice, and her granddaughter, Kristi Kelley. The funeral has held on April 29, 1977 at 9:00 am at the Walker Funeral Home in Spanish Fork, Utah. Mr. Walker agreed to let Mary’s son, Don, drive his station wagon to carry Mary to her final resting place in Montrose, Colorado.
Mary was buried next to her husband, Joseph Paul, in the Turner plot in Montrose , Colorado on April 29, 1977.

Joseph Paul Turner (1891 - 1935)

Written by his daughter

Helen Turner Stone, August 1985
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Joseph Paul Turner was born in Montrose Colorado October 9, 1891 to Frank Porter Turner and Jennie Mummert. His father was employed by the United States Postal Service, as a rural mail carrier. He carried mail by horse and buggy or sleigh for 30 years. He also enjoyed horse and cart racing. Paul's mother was trained as a school teacher and tutored children in their home. Paul was an only child. He never knew his grandparents as they lived in the east.

Paul had a normal childhood. He attended school in Montrose. Upon graduation he attended Ross Business College in Grand Junction, Colorado.

He was a healthy and robust boy. His only serious illness while growing up was a bout with typhoid fever. His last illness was a ruptured appendix which resulted in his death.

He was his mother's price and joy and she watched over him like a mother hen. He was probably the only thing of value in her life.

When he got into high school he would spend his summer vacations working for his uncle John M. Cunningham on his ranch in La Sal, Utah. There was a young girl from Ferron, Utah who came to the ranch to work during her vacation time. They spent a lot of evenings together and their friendship developed into love and respect for each other and on December 8, 1914 he married Mary Larsen.

They lived the first years of their married lives on a homestead in the east side of La Sal. Paul worked hard to clear the land, he also worked part time helping to build a road to Dove Creek, Colorado. He and Mary enjoyed riding their horses and being together in this remote area.

They would spend their winters in Montrose. In the fall they would get into their wagon with their personal things and travel a rough dirt trail to Montrose. Then back to the homestead in the spring.

I, Helen, was born in Montrose on the 30th of May 1917. When mother was well enough Dad took her and me (being three weeks old) back to the homestead. After a few years Paul got a chance to sell out, so they all moved back to Montrose and leased a farm a few miles west of town.

While living there, a second daughter, Alice, arrived on the 30th of July 1921. While living on the farm, Dad worked part time clerking at Mullins Grocery Store. Farming only gave us a bare existence, so when an opening came open for a janitor's job at the Post Office Paul took it with the promise of an advancement as soon as there was an opening. It was only a short time until his father retired and Paul was given the position of rural mail carrier on the same rout #4 which his father had. He kept this job until his death.

He was proud of his cars and on his days off, he would service them and wash them so they were always in top shape. He thought that the Pontiac was the best car on the road.

During the next few years two boys were born, Frank in May 1924 and five years later, Don was born in August.

Dad enjoyed his family, he would take them on picnics, fishing, and vacation trips. We always went to Ferron during vacation time. We even went to Yellowstone Park one time. He was the most kind, and thoughtful and loving father a person could have.

I remember him spanking me only once. Mother took care of all the rest of the spankings. He loved to go to the picture shows and we went two or three times a week. I think his kids inherited that trait from him. Dad never lived to see his children grown and married. I know he would have been the best granddad a kid could have. He took sick on the 5th of October 1935 and passed away on the 8th of October. Just one day before his 44th birthday.

The Turner family was respected and well liked throughout the whole area. It was shown by the large number that came to the funeral.

He was buried at Montrose, Colorado the the Cedar Cemetery next to his father and mother.

A point of interest is the ranch where Paul and Mary met and fell in love was the same ranch several years prior where Paul's mother and father met and fell in love.