Pritchett Information

Leonard H. Trauntvein Brief Personal History

I was born in Kenilworth, Carbon County, Utah. I was born during the Great Depression but I do not remember any of the depression. I remember the Bombing of Pearl Harbor and the war with Germany. The way we received the news, as to what was happening during the war, was to read the newspaper or

listen to the radio. Each evening our family would listen to the radio to find out what was going on with the war and in America. Three young men from Kenilworth were killed during the war.

During the war, there were metal scrap drives throughout the town and everyone would hunt for unused metal, even tin cans. The collected metal was stacked up in the schoolyard and then it was hauled away to the iron works. There was seldom any chocolate candy and very little soda pop; it went to the soldiers.

Each day, the students would bring what change (money) was available at home and then once a month the students were taken up to the post office where they exchanged their stamp books for war bonds. The day the war ended the miners came out and there was an all night celebration.

The town had a mixture of nationalities. There were Blacks, Mexicans, Japanese, Greeks, Italians, and Scandinavians. There was no discrimination in the school. We all played together and did not know there was any difference between each other.

The company owned everything in the town, except the post office and school They owned the store, made some of their own money (called script), the show hall, had their own doctor and hospital. They sponsored the American Legion Baseball team and the company baseball team. They helped the scouts and in the winter had a nice ice rink and sleigh riding hill. Every summer they had Kenilworth Days. It was a big celebration. There were all kinds of races and other competitions and the scouts would compete in first aid treatment. The company first aid mining teams would compete with other company’s mining teams in first aid. The competitions were held outside on the grass in front of the hospital. 

They would have a program and all the town’s people would sit and listen to it. The company would block off one street, up by the hospital, and it was covered with tables. They would always serve a big roast beef dinner--all you could eat style. During the dinner, there was musical entertainment. Once a year they would have a watermelon bust. Again this was held up on the hospital lawns. You could have all the watermelon you could eat and they would cut big slices the length of the melon. At Christmas time, Santa came after a show and he would give us a paper bag of candy, an orange, an apple and nuts. It was not one of the dinky kinds of paper bags; it was the big one.

The company would buy free-swimming passes to the Helper or Price swimming pools for those who liked to swim. They money for a lot of these activities did not come directly from the company. Each miner would pay a given amount of money into a fund and that is the money that was used for recreation and etc.

During the winter, we did a lot of sleigh riding, ice skating, and bumper hitching, Sometimes the hitching took us to the town below which was about three miles down. We would then wait at the sop sign and try to hitch another ride back up. This could be done until the company would sent coal trucks loaded with slack and the men on top of the truck would threw the slack out with a shovel. The slack would quickly melt the snow and ice.

During the summer, we would ride our bikes everywhere. There was always a baseball game going on so we would go play. We hiked around in the mountains a lot. Even to the extent that, I now would say, we put ourselves, many times, in harm’s way. It is a miracle that more kids did not die in the mountains. 

To earn money, I peddled newspapers and worked at the company store.

We went to the eighth grade in our town, then the ninth grade in Spring Glen, the tenth grade in the old Price Junior High, the eleventh grade at Carbon College (now the College of Eastern Utah), which, at the time, served as the high school, and college.

The town is still there but the mine, tipple, and railroad tracks are all gone. The people who live there own their own homes and have a 99-year lease on the property. Many of the homes have been moved to communities south of the town.

After graduating from high school, I like most of the other young men, started to work in the mine. It was great pay and the working conditions were not too bad. I worked in the mine for three years then I took on a job in a service station in Price. I worked there until I received a mission call from my church.

My mission would be in Denmark, where most of my grandparents and great grandparents came from. My dad tried to teach me some Danish before I left but I had a hard time with it. One point of interest, one of my father’s nicknames was “Danish.” I was in Denmark for two and a half years.

I then attended Carbon College. My wife, Myrna, and I graduated from the college. We then moved to Provo. After four years in Provo, I accepted a teaching position in Nephi, Utah. After teaching for fourteen years, I became a principal. I was in administration for the next sixteen years.

Ten years ago I retired. Four years ago the superintendent called me and asked If would teach for half of a day and I agreed. I did that for two years and then I told them I would not be coming back the next year.

One year ago, Myrna and I flew to Denmark for two and a half weeks. While we were there, we watched President Gordon B. Hinckley, President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, dedicate the Danish Temple. We renewed some old acquaintances and did some touring.

One of the highest honors I have ever received was to have been named as an Olympic Torch Bearer in 2002. Two of my sons nominated me for the honor, which was a wonderful thing in itself. I was honored, along with others selected to represent our state, during programs at the Utah State Capital, in

Provo and in my community, Nephi. The night I carried the torch for my turn as it moved through our community, I was treated like a hero. All of my family who could came to watch and to celebrate with me. Coca Cola Company sponsored me; bought my uniform and the torch I carried which I still display in my home.

Sister Anderson

Dear Trauntwein and Myrna
 
I.m writing this to let you know that mother is dying. She would not let the doctors take more of her leg, she wanted to go home and she will. It is a little hart on everybody to se her laying there just waiting for here to die We take turns being with her night and day. She does not communicate but we think that she knows we are there and she likes to here us talking. She sleeps most of the time. She does not get any dialyses anymore. The doctor says it will be better for her to dye X-Hotmail-From: from a kidneystop than from the “koldbrand” in her leg. They keep her out of pain. Will you leave a message for Strates at the Manti temple. So he knows. This is hart on everybody, please put her name on the prayerroll. I don’t  know when I have a chance to go.
Love Else

Directions to Fabuloso Kirsten's‏

Take I-70 East (about 435.5 miles)

Exit onto C470 East toward Colorado Springs (you'll go about 30 miles on this road)

Exit onto I-25 South toward Colorado Springs (you'll go about 40 miles on I-25)

Take the Interquest exit and head East (I believe the off-ramp wraps you in a circle over the Freeway)  

Turn Left onto Voyager Pkwy (I believe it's the first stop light; on the corner there will be a huge church that says "World Prayer Center")

Stay on Voyager, you'll see a housing development on your left called "Trail Ridge South"

From Voyager, take your second left (entrance-wise) into the development onto Longs Peak Trail

Take your first right onto Lookout Springs Dr.; we're second from the end (1312) on your right hand side.

(total miles = +/- 560 miles)

Let me know if any of this is confusing.

Love you guys!  Can't wait to see you Friday!

Kirsten

A photo of Nephi girls heading to Girl's State

Help!

Dear Myrna,
I'm not sure what the problem is. I'll phone you this afternoon and talk
about why you can't open them.

Donnette

From Vance Gibson

No matter how bad you are, you couldn't be as bad as this!

From Melanie

I didn't know that I could rub off on you from clear out here, but it seems like I have sent my witchery to you.. I had an interesting day too. I am sure that there are more to come just like them. You know what your mother always said, "It could be worse." To which you always replied, "Yeah, right." :)

Melanie

We really do love you!

Myrna: To all of the children in the family. You each have a unique part in this family that is ever evolving. We do know that you are each important to the family. Some of you think that you can be less than essential, but that is not true.

We love our daughter Melanie and we are sorry that she is so far away. She is far away in miles but not in love.

It is time to do the temple work for Edna. By a happy chance, the Grundvigs have made it possible to do that work. Unfortunately, not everyone could be present. This excerpt from a note sent by Melanie lets us know that she was sorry to not be there but still was gracious enough to want the work done right away.

From Melanie: I am not even close enough to do anything with any of you. I would love to live near the rest of you. I know it was important to have Edna's work done. I didn't want you to wait until the summer, Edna didn't want it to wait this long as many of you have had the impressions about her that you she has wanted the work done. I wish that I could help with David, with Julie with AnnMarie and even with Siovhan. I feel alone when the family gets together. You can't stop getting together--the family needs that and I need to know that you are all so close.  

From Mom: Melanie, you are always gracious and you are always helpful. We know that you feel frustrated at times because you are miles away. We love you. We wish that you lived next door but, for whatever reason, that is not where Heavenly Father wants you.

We know that you wish that you could be closer in distance so that you would feel closer in being a part of the family. However, you are the one who is always working to make certain that everyone is included. No matter how far away you are, you think of all of the family. You are ever the "big sister" who wants all the younger siblings to be happy. You work to make my life, as mom, easier and happier. I am grateful for you. Yes, I would like to have you close enough to hug you, physically, but I can hug you mentally and I do.

You are a good daughter. Your sisters idolize you. Your brothers admire the woman you are. Dad thinks that he is lucky to have you. It is OK. The next time we have an important temple name to do, we will make certain that we wait for you. I few months will not make that much difference in the eternal scheme of things.

Helping Kirsten Leave Texas

I am fine. Howard is in town for the next few weeks. It should be okay. I haven't done anything on my own for a few years now, and it might give me a chance to get away and do something to help for a change. I always hear how everyone needs help, but can't help. Now that the children are old enough, I can leave them, and they can do some projects and homework until Howard gets home in the afternoon. It would be nice for me if Siovhan were closer, just so she could drop by, but the children will be fine. You know how that goes, you left children for weeks at a time to come and help me with my babies when they were born, and some of them not much older than the ones that I have now. They will survive. The Lord will protect them. 

Howard is trying to get me a flight for Friday. That way I will have a half day Friday, all day Saturday, as well as Monday, Tuesday and then fly home on Wednesday. Jared will be there on Thursday and they will leave Friday. I hope that Kirsten can do a lot this week and then we will break things down and put them in the garage until Jared and his brother can load the van. 

I wasn't trying to make you feel guilty. I told you that I knew you liked to help and you have moved so many of the kids that you had become a pro. I also know that you can help with the girls in a way that only Grandmas can--that is why I asked you. I was aware that there might not be a possibility for you to help, so I told you I would see if I could help. Moving is always so stressful. I am grateful that AnnMarie thought enough to help Kirsten fly. That way it makes it so that I can go and help. AnnMarie is always so good to her siblings. She seems to be the go to girl.

Take care. I will let you know when I get the flights and would you let me know if AnnMarie is going to take her cell phone with her on your trip? That way Kirsten can call with questions and ease her mind, if she needs. Thank you.

Love, Mel