Dear Relatives

RAY MURDOCK

Ray Murdock was born in Heber City, Utah and attended Parker and Timpanogos Elementary School, Central Junior High, Provo High, and Brigham Young University. Football and track were his scholastic achievements. Fishing is his hobby and recreation. Ray is talented in music. Baptized in the LDS Church on 16 November 1919. Stake Sunday School Superintendent, Ward-MIA-Counselor and Superintendent – Elder President.

Married on 17 October 1933 to Mignon Howe. She died 30 August 1961. On 22 June 1962 Ray married his second wife Neva Catherine Pickering Ford. Business activities are Service Station Lessee and Provo City Commissioner. Civic Activities: Junior Chamer President. Rotary Club President. Member of the School Board and President of Boy Scouts.

Information for Posterity: I got my first job at the age of six. Worked one day in Coal Yard-earned fifty cents. Later was custodian at the Bank. Also sold Ice Cream from a cart. My dad had an orchestra for 40 years. During that time members of my family played in it. (Mother, Minnie, Atha, myself & Ethel) Traveled to many towns in and around Central Utah. Ray’s parents were David Steele Murdock and Mary Emily Van Wagenen.

ETHEL LUCILE MURDOCK WILSON

Ethel Lucile Murdock Wilson was the daughter of David Steele Murdock and Mary Emily Van Wagenen. She attended Timpanogos Grade School-Provo High School. She is very talanted at singing and music, Piano, and singing in choral groups were her achievements. She solos for funerals and other occasions. Ethels hobbies are singing, sewing, piano and organ.

Married on 11 September 1933 at Salt Lake City to Bill Woodrow Wilson. Member of the LDS Church and baptized on 19^th of March 1922. Manager of the Clark’s Beauty Salon and also a Receptionist, President of the Lions, Member of Fine Arts, Womans Council.

Information for posterity: In 1961 I was priviledged to go to Europe to sing with the Singing Mothers. For dedication of a L.D.S. Church in London. I have held the office of Stake Relief Society President, Ward Relief Society President, Relief Society Ward Secretary, activity and age group councelor and teacher in primary. Have sung with the singing Mothers for seventeen years under conductor Florence Jepperson Madsen.

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EMMITT MURDOCK

Emitt Murdock, son of David Steele Murdock and Emily Van Wagenen, attended Elementary and High School. Fishing and Hunting are his recreation. He is talented at singing. Baptized into the LDS Church on 22 February 1925. Married in the Salt Lake Temple on 3 April 1936 to Emma Hindley. Business Activities; Meter Technition – Mountain Fuel Supply Company. Civic Activities: Junior Chamber of Commerce – Member of “Curriers of Song”. Information for Posterity: Veteran of World War II. Served as both councilors in Elders Presidency. President of YMMIA. Secretary of Seventys Quorum. First Councelor in Superintendent Sunday School. At this time member of High Priest Quorum.

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ALMA VAN WAGENEN

Alma was born 21 Oct. 1872 in Midway, Wasatch County, Utah to David and Julia Ann Provost Van Wagenen. He married Birdie Ethel Gray on 18 Oct. 1899 in the Salt lake Temple. He attended Wasatch County Schools and graduated from the Wasatch Stake Academy.

Mr. Van Wagenen moved to Provo in 1898 after working in Salt Lake City for three years for the Studebaker Company as a traveling auditor. He had a talent for figures and was very accurate in his work. He opened up his own carriage business at the time he arrived in town. He sold carriages for many years and in 1907 he had the first automobile agency South of Salt Lake City and sold Buick Automobiles and harnesses. He was quite successful in his own business and in 1914 he started to build his new home at 415 East Center Street. It was completed in 1917 and he moved in with his family from 257 N. 100 E., a home that he had built for his new bride.

In 1921 he retired from the Automobile business and entered the finance business for loans on farms and homes. In 1928 and 29 he served as Mayor of Provo, at which time he made many civic improvements. New baseball stands and the golf course were activated. He was a director of the Farmers and Merchants Bank. For many years he operated the Van Wagenen Orchards with about 100 acres of farmland, mostly in fruit trees. He also owned and operated an early stage line in the Uinta Basin.

As a young man he was outstanding as a baseball player, a cyclist and a musician. His family band played to many of the dances in the Heber Valley. He played the piano which was mostly cording to the fiddle and drum. At the same time he managed the Midway Co-op for his father for a few years.

As the years went by he tried to liquidate his farm holdings and made more loans. In 1938 he and his son Frank Organized the Van Wagenen Investment Co., Inc. for the purpose of getting into the small loan business. When Frank went into the service in 1944 he went out of the loan business as soon as he could. During this time he converted all of his available cash into American Telephone Stock which proved to be a very wise investment. He was always proud of his home and it has been somewhat of a monument to him and his wife.

His health started to fail him in about 1955 and when he could no longer drive his car he aged rapidly. He passed away at his home on 17 Dec 1958 from causes incident to age.

Mr. Van Wagenen came from a family of twelve. He was the youngest boy. At an early age he determined to make a success of his life. He worked hard, saved his money and endured the struggle against poverty of the time and educated himself as best he could. He was tall and thin all of his life and carried himself erect and was aristocratic in appearance.

He was the father of eight children, six sons and two daughters, six of whom survived him. Stanley, Clifton, LeGrand, Loree, Harold, Frank, Dean and Irene. He and his wife were always active in the Democratic Party. They both loved to dance and belong to a dancing club for many years. They traveled extensively throughout the country. He was an active member of the Rotary Club, the Timpanogos Knife and Fork Club, and the Chamber of Commerce.