Heber Arthur Fernelius

April 2, 1884 – December 20, 1967

         

          I, Heber Arthur Fernelius, was born April 2, 1884, in South Weber, Utah.

          My father Charles Adolph Fernelius was born in Carlsdahl, Hellefors County, Sweden, February 6, 1850.

Charles Adolph Fernelius

          His father, Peter Adolph Fernelius, was born August 12, 1819 in Orebro Lane, Sweden. His mother, Maria Gustave Kilstrom, was born February 2, 1820, in Orebro Lane, Sweden.

          My mother, Mary (Marie) Fredrika Lindberg, was born September 17, 1852, in Lindsborg Smoland, Sweden. 

Mary (Marie) Fredrika Lindberg

Mary (Marie) Fredrika Lindberg

Mary (Marie) Fredrika Lindberg

          Her father, Anders Johanson Lindberg, was born October 8, 1819, in Unnaryd Par Jonkoping Lan, Sweden. Her mother, Brita Johanna Rosendahl, was born April 4, 1818, in Unnaryd Par Jonkoping Lan, Sweden.

          My parents came to the United States while in their teens. They never knew one another in the old country. They first met in the spring of 1869 in Tunkhannock, Pennsylvania, when a train wreck delayed the train mother was traveling on with a family as a hired girl. All were migrating to America. My father went to the train to meet Swedish families. Mother was among the Swedish people. They married in March 1872. They bought a farm in Minnesota jointly with Uncle Peter and his wife Christine. They were converted to the church in April of 1883, then moved to South Weber, Davis County in Utah and purchased 120 acres of land, living there fifty years.

Heber Arthur Fernelius 19-20 years old

           

Heber Arthur Fernelius (standing on the left,) with his father (seated in front of Heber) and brothers

           

Heber Arthur Fernelius is seated at the far right. His parents Peter Adolph and Mary (Marie) Fredrika Fernelius

          After my mother passed away on November 13, 1927, my father was unable to run the farm by himself so he turned it over to his eldest son, Victor, and lived the remainder of his life with his daughters Nancy and Ellen. He passed away at the age of 94 at Ellen’s home in Uintah, Utah, March 19, 1944. Mother always shaved father during their life together and worked like a man on the farm in addition to rearing a family of eleven children. Some of the varied and colorful positions my father held were, Justice of the Peace, Road Supervisor, Assessor, Water Commissioner, School Trustee, Manager of a canning factory, Bookkeeper, Bishop of an LDS Church, Ward Clerk, and working on the farm to support the family.

          Of the eleven children (seven boys and four girls) I, Heber A., was the sixth child and the first born in Utah.

          I was blessed by William P. Jones April 27, 1884. I was Baptized on June 2, 1892, by James Harbertson and confirmed by Robert Watts. I was ordained a Deacon March 8, 1897. George Kendell ordained me a Priest on August 3, 1902. I was ordained and Elder February 26, 1905 by my father, Charles A. Fernelius. Reed Smoot (Apostle) ordained me a High Priest on December 11, 1937.

          As I remember my childhood, mother put my hair in ringlets until I was six years old. She cut them off after much teasing by the boys and girls. I wore dresses like a girl and while playing with other children they would pull the sash of my dress and drive me around as though guiding a horse.

          I herded cows during the summertime, barefooted. I wasn’t allowed shoes until winter. The cows were herded along ditch banks because very few fields were fenced in. I was allowed to ride a horse part of the time. The cows were fed in the corral on Sundays and it left me free to attend Sunday school and church meetings the entire day. We put hay in the wagon to feed the horses during the day. I had to work on the farm until the ground froze. I was needed to help in the fall of the years and wasn't permitted to start school with the other children.

          I had very little schooling, which began when I was nine years old. I traveled two and a half miles to Uintah School. After two years, the people in the upper part of South Weber built a small school house of adobe which I attended for a few years. I managed to reach the seventh grade at this time.

The adobe school house in Uintah, It was built in 1855. Images found in the book "Images of America- Uintah" written by Sue Bybee. This book is a wonderful accounting of Uintah, Utah.  

School house in Uintah, said to have been used from 1874-1891. Images found in the book "Images of America- Uintah" written by Sue Bybee. This book is a wonderful accounting of Uintah, Utah. I bought mine at the Beehive Cheese shop in Uintah.   

          My second year in school I recall quite vividly. An eighteen year old student stabbed me in the left leg with a pocket knife. I was asked to close a window shutter. The glass had been broken and the breeze was blowing the girl’s hair. The boys didn’t want the shutter closed and expressed themselves vehemently. As the boys opened the shutter – I would close it. One boy said, “If you close the shutter again I’ll stab you with a knife.” The shutter was opened and I closed it, so the boy knifed me in the thigh. It was a three inch gash and bled profusely, making me very weak. My shoe was filled with blood, and the teacher took me to the Trustees who were visiting school that day and they bound the wound and told me to go home with my sister Nancy. We had two and a half miles to walk and about half way I passed out. Nancy would kick all of the rocks out of the road so I could drag my leg. A fellow, Albert Hamre, came along in a wagon, and picked us up and took us home. My mother nursed my wound, and I still carry a deep scar to this day.

          I was assigned as janitor to clean the Chapel, and start the fire in the pot-bellied church stove each Sunday. I would have to ride a horse one hour or more in advance of Sunday school time in those days to accomplish my task.

          The farmers in the area had to rotate watering turns for their crops. Father designated me to watch the water on our field of potatoes. I was fifteen years old and had attended a Fourth of July dance. Naturally, I was tired but I set the water and thought I would lay on the ditch bank in the shade of willows and sleep for awhile. I was awakened after much time with a movement on my chest. I looked up slowly and a big blow snake had coiled up. I held my breath for awhile, but with my slight movement it roused the snake and it slowly uncoiled and left my body. When I was free of the snake I jumped and ran faster than I have ever run before.                   

          When I was sixteen, I started to work while living away from home, and have never lived at home since then, except for short intervals of time.

          Lyman Wattis hired me to work with Fay Preston trailing sheep for five days to Blue Creek to meet the main herd that wintered on the desert and were ready to lamb. We later trailed them through Cache Valley to the head of Logan Canyon. This was from April to July, 1902. I finished the year working on a header and thrashing machine in Cache Valley. I was given light work because I was injured while with the sheep. I fell over a cliff that caused me to have a double hernia.

          The next two years I worked for the Anderson Brothers. Both Jim and Joe were single. They hired a girl to cook for them during the summer. When winter came, Jim was elected to the Legislature and went to Salt Lake. Joe went to Logan to school and the cook went home. I was left on the ranch alone during the winter of 1903 in Peterson to care for the stock. I cooked for myself and attended school entering the eighth grade. I earned $35.00 a month in the summer and purchased a buggy with my earnings.

          I worked in Park City at the Daley West Mine from April to July, 1904 for $2.75 a day. On July 24, they laid us off for repairing of the shaft. 

This is what his pay checks would have looked like

Miners in the Daly West Mine, no family pictured.

          Fingal Bohman hired me to work on his farm for the remainder of the summer. Later on I worked at the canning factory in Uintah.

          In September, 1904, I received a call from the Church to go on a Mission to Sweden. A missionary blessing was given to me by Elder George Albert Smith, one of the twelve Apostles. 

          I attended school in Salt Lake City Utah, taking a missionary course for about four months, then I came home. I worked as a section laborer for the Union Pacific Railroad for about three months to earn as much money as I could before leaving for my missionary work in Sweden.

          I married Laura May Bybee on March 1, 1905 in the Salt Lake Temple by John R. Winder. 

Heber and Laura's wedding portrait

          Laura remained with her parents during the twenty-seven months I was in the Scandinavian Mission Field. Her parents were both ill at the time. Her father died on July 7, 1905, but her mother recovered and lived until June 7, 1922.

          On April 19, 1905, I left home for my mission, arriving in Sundsvall Sweden on May 19, 1905. I was among thirty-five missionaries who left Salt Lake in a chartered railroad car. Joseph Fernelius and I met them at Uintah when the train arrived at 9:00am. In the group were four of President Joseph F. Smith’s sons and also LeGrand Richards who was going on his first mission. Richards, now an Apostle (two years younger than myself) is a cousin to Laura, my wife. 

Elder LeGrand Richards approx 1906 

          It took three days to go to Chicago where we left our chartered railroad car. We visited Buffalo, Niagara Falls and New York. We walked over the Brooklyn Bridge, took a boat called “Puritan” from New York to Fall River—then rode a train to Boston where we visited Bunker Hill Monument and other places of interest. We boarded the ship “Arabic” which was owned by an English firm and the White Star Line. 

SS Arabic

          We arrived in Liverpool at 9:00pm on May 5. We were met by President Grant and three other Elders who took to St. Thomas Hotel on Norton Street. The next day we went to Mission head-quarters where we were assigned to different places in Europe. One of the Smith boys went to Scotland; Heber C. Smith went to England; George Smith went to Sweden and Williard Smith went to Norway; and other missionaries were assigned to England, Scotland and Holland. We traveled by train from Liverpool to Grimsby; we boarded the ship “Botnia” to cross the North Sea. 

Botnia

          The sea was very rough and I got very ill in the thirty hour crossing. Arriving in Copenhagen on May 10, President Christenson of the Scandinavian mission assigned us to different places. We six left by train to go to Sundsvall, Conference headquarters in the Northern part of Sweden. 

          My first assignment was with older missionaries: Leo Clawson, Alvin Peterson and Antony Valentine at Harnosand, which was 35 miles farther north where we stayed until we were more adept to the language. At conference time I was appointed presiding Elder of the Harnosand branch. Emil Elm became my companion. 

           

Swedish Missionaries. Heber Arthur Fernelius is on the second row from the back, fourth from the right. 

           
   

Heber on his mission, Hernosand Sweden.

The back of the portrait.

           New Year’s Day we walked from Harnosand to Sundsvall pulling and hand sleigh “Spark” and hauled Mr. Peterson’s trunk and suitcase. 

The distance from Harnosand to Sundsvall is shown here.

        

Today, walking this distance would take 12 hours and 46 minutes via route 331.  

          
           We stayed eight days and returned the same way because the boats were frozen in the ice. We crossed over a lake on the ice, which was 10 miles wide, to shorten the distance. This lake of ice was also traveled by horse and sleigh. Sticks were placed in the ice about 100 yards apart so we would not get lost. About half way we got in water about ankle deep, being no way around we had to wade through. One night we saw the Northern Lights, it appeared in all colors shooting up first from the North and then all around forming a crown up overhead. It lasted about two hours. We read in the newspaper it was the best ever seen in forty years. 

Pictures of Northern Lights in Lapland Sweden.

           Our work was mostly in the North bordering Lapland. Several times when we were traveling during the winter we came across a Lapland family herding their reindeer as we would herd our sheep. They move from place to place where the feed id good, living on small bushes and moss growing on the trees. I asked a fellow how many reindeer he had. He told me three thousand. The owners would kill their reindeer as we do beef. They took the meat to town to sell in the open market, not in a building. In the summer the Laplanders go farther North taking their families with them.

Laplanders, or the Sami People are Europe's only indigenous people, dating back 6,000 years.

Laplanders/Sami in Northernmost Sweden. They also live in Norway and Finland.

Laplanders/Sami people herd reindeer and speak their own language.  Images found at http://www.visitsweden.com/sweden/Things-to-do/Culture-heritage--arts/Sapmi-and-the-Sami/ 

          In the summer of 1906 we were so far north that we saw the midnight sun. It just circled around and never went out of sight. I think Sweden is the most beautiful country in the world, with its forests and lakes. I haven’t seen other countries, but have seen pictures and read about them. The last part of 1906 I was transferred to Sundsvall where I stayed until I was released from my mission on May 6, 1907. I was permitted to visit where my father was born and several places where relatives lived, but could not find anyone there as they had migrated to the United States.

Forest in Sweden. Swedes are very connected to nature and consider it an important part of their spirituality. http://www.visitsweden.com/sweden/Accommodation/Accommodation-guide/Cottages-and-Cabins/

         

The lake district Sweden . http://www.mydestination.com/travel-articles/721139/the-garden-of-sweden

           
           I saw the Kaiser of Germany, who was on a summer vacation in Northern Sweden. I went out on an excursion boat to see him. At that time the war between Japan and Russia was in progress. 

Heber on his mission to Sweden. Sundsvall Sweden. 

         

The back of the portrait.

          
(During his mission, Laura gave birth to their first child, Vergie May Fernelius on October 16, 1905. When Heber returned home, he met his beautiful daughter for the first time. She was two at this time. And Vergie finally got to meet her dad.) 

A picture of Vergie sent to Heber while on his mission.

Vergie May Fernelius

Vergie May Fernelius

Together at last! Laura May, Heber and Vergie upon his return from Sweden. Their first family portrait.  

           Following my mission in the fall of 1907, the banks caused a money panic so we received script for pay. After the factory run in November I could not find work. Bishop Keyes gave Jim Fatherly and me work cutting, sawing and splitting cottonwood trees ready for the stove. We received 50 cents a cord. Two cords were all we could do in a day. We worked for three days then received our pay in flour.

          V.R. Bohman in Peterson hired me to work on his farm in March, 1908. After the work was pretty well completed in the fall, Mr. Bohman got a contract to haul ore from Cottonwood Canyon to Peterson, a distance of twelve miles. He wanted me to help him but before he got started, Mr. Bohman took sick with the flu. With his instructions I sawed the tongue off from the lighter wagon and connected it to the heavy wagon so we could haul two loads at one time, requiring the use of four horses. I did this hauling for about a week. The ore bin was arranged high enough so a wagon could be placed under a chute to be loaded easily by raising a door and the ore would slide down in the wagon. It was not so easy when I got to the railroad and had to shovel the ore from the wagon into a box car, “where it was taken to the smelter.” In order to accomplish this trip in one day, I would leave home before daylight and returned a few hours after dark. I was happy when the snow came so I could not haul by wagon. After a few days we decided to try hauling the ore by bob sled. The snow was quite deep and the road had not been used, making travel difficult for the horses. Mr. Bohman sent Irvin Carrigan and me for a load. We arrived at the bin about noon and found the ore frozen hard as a rock. We fed the horses and visited a prospector who lived in a tent near the ore bin. The weather being 12 below zero we were very cold and wanted to get warm. We decided to loosen the ore with dynamite. The prospector told us we could get some dynamite at a homestead one mile away. I rode one of the horses and got the dynamite. It was frozen and had to be thawed out. The miner demonstrated how this should be done; by placing a few pieces of wood in the oven, then the dynamite on top of the wood. We watched him do it for himself before going to his mine. I was to do this job while Carrigan made holes in the ore with a bar. We intended using about one half stick of dynamite to the hole, thinking this would loosen the ore. I sat by the stove for some time waiting for the dynamite to thaw out, it was about noon and time for lunch. We had nothing to drink with our lunch so I took a small bucket, which had been used for a coffee pot and proceeded to the creek to get some water. There was a large rock between the tent and the creek and as I was about to dip some water, the dynamite exploded sending tent, stove and everything near into the air. The large rock protected me, everything went over my head. Carrigan came running and shouting my name, thinking I was gone. I stood there excited of course, but smiled when I saw a kettle fastened on a dry limb about twenty feet up a tree. I was very thankful to be standing there alive. The prospector was now in his mine about one half mile away, we decided to get him and tell him what happened. It was just a few days before Christmas, and he mentioned he would like to get a ride to the depot so he could take the train to Salt Lake City where his family lived. We went to the mine and told him he better ride with us as his tent was ruined. When he saw the tent he said “Vell my happy home has gone to hell.” (he was German). We took a count of everything. When he returned in about two weeks he wanted to sue us for a sum of money, but Carrigan told him we should sue him. He dropped the case.

          In March 1909, I took care of Orin Bybee’s cows and farmed his place. That year our principal crop was tomatoes—four acres and two acres of potatoes. The tomatoes froze early and we received about $35.00 from them. We harvested about 300 bushels of potatoes which we placed in pits. The market price was 35 cents per hundred in Ogden, seven miles away, and it wouldn’t pay to take them any distance at that price. My father gave me money in the spring for some of the potatoes which he used as seed. The remainder was fed to some of Orin’s hogs. Farming was discouraging.

          On October 1, 1909, I began working as a section hand for the Union Pacific Railroad. On November 9, 1909, I got a job as signal maintainer and was sent to Castle Rock Utah. Still with the same job in 1912 I had notice to cover my district in head of a special train that was coming east. A westbound train was due, but the operator told me it would stop at Castle Rock. After I left the station, the schedule was changed and the westbound train went through. As I rode along on my speeder I could feel a heavy vibration, as I looked around the train was but a few feet away and the engine looked like a huge mountain. I threw my leg over the top of the speeder and jumped. The train hit the speeder and demolished it. On August 18, 1913, I left the railroad and went back to Uintah where I worked in the canning factory for the Anderson Brothers. I began working on the railroad again on January 18, 1916, as a watchman in Weber Canyon.

         

Union Pacific, Echo Canyon. Artist Otto Pendelton

           

          In the fall of 1918, I contracted to squeeze apples for cider using frost-damaged apples. Will Jaques helped me and we got twelve fifty gallon barrels of cider. We gave my father six barrels and then divided the other barrels between Will and myself. The cider turned into vinegar in time.

          We moved to our present home in Uintah in the late fall of 1920. I also changed jobs from watchman to section laborer for the U.P.R.R. By August 19, 1921 I was promoted to section foreman, caring for a section at Uintah until February 2, 1922. Then I went to Echo and batched in an outfit car. Elda and Leone my daughters, came to visit me for a few days, and I remember they liked fried potatoes cut in small cubes and browned nicely.

         

Thomas Russell Rock left (Vergie's husband, Heber's son in-law) Heber on the right. They were called "The man and the boy." They were very close and worked together for Union Pacific Railroad. 

          Castle Rock was the next move on November 1, 1922. I took my family with me. During the time we lived in Castle Rock, a small group of people organized a Sunday school. The families of San Moore, Clarence Moore, Heber Spackman, Dick Durrant and our family constituted the group. Our children rode horseback to school at Rigby Ranch. Later a school house was built in Castle Rock. We boarded the school teachers for a short time. We moved to Wanship on February 22, 1929 because our children were older and needed a high school education.

Heber and Laura's little girls on their horse Midge, in Castle Rock near the depot. They also rode Midge to school,

         

From left- Edna Keyes, Vergie in the middle and Elda in front, wading near their home at Castle Rock.

           The job in Wanship was abolished on May 23, 1931 which forced us to Morgan Utah until March 19, 1933. Then we moved to Bitter Creek Wyoming for one year, and to Millis Wyoming for another year. By this time we saw the opportunity to move to Devils Slide Utah and be around people from home. We became active in church work again. Bishop Bert Dickson chose me to act as his second Counselor from December 1937 to September 1941. We enjoyed living in this area and recall many pleasant memories.

"Mother and father at Devil's Slide." 

          We moved to Peterson Utah on March 8, 1941. While there I was chosen President of the Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Association. After one year we moved to Uintah on October 1, 1942 to our own home, still working as foreman for the Union Pacific Rail Road. I was set apart in November 1943 as first counselor to Bishop Aldo Stevens in the Uintah Ward by President Thomas Parker, then I was released on July 13, 1947.

          I have been President of the Mountain Stream Irrigation Company in Uintah. We enlarged the reservoir and made many improvements. The water master and I went out and collected money from home owners to hire a fellow with a bulldozer to dig out the reservoir.

          Laura and I have traveled extensively through the Western States, Mexico and Canada. We were always glad to call Uintah our home. We have attended sessions in nine different temples, which include all existing temples on this continent as of this date (July 1966).

Heber and Laura on the SLC Temple grounds, May 1938.

Heber and Laura Fernelius

          Our annual Christmas trip for several years to San Carlos California to view the Santa Clause Lane on Greenwood Drive will always be remembered as a very special occasion. Every house on the block was decorated and had an animated display. I had the privilege of being Santa one night and talked to the little children.

          I experienced a heart attack on March 18, 1952, which made it necessary for me to retire from the railroad after forty years of service, 31 of which were spent as section foreman. We lived in our home in Uintah at the time of my retirement. I have taken life a bit easier, and yet we never stop traveling to our various points of interest such as our hearts desired and finances permitted.

          We saw the Rose Parade in 1955 in Pasadena California, which was a beautiful site and a wonderful experience. It rained so we didn’t see the football game as we had planned, but did watch it on television at the hotel.

          Our first airplane ride was to California on February 27, 1957. The Western Airlines flew us. They gave Laura an orchid and me a cigar. In February 1960, was our first “jet” plane ride. Needless to say, we have flown many times since, but like all other experiences it is always the “first” that is remembered most.

          My love of the great outdoors and sports will never leave me. Fishing, hunting, camping etc. mean a great deal to me. On November 15, 1952 which was deer hunting season, I found myself with itchy feet and in good health. I set out with Alf Peek for the mountains to hunt deer. We took sleeping bags and naturally camped out. Each of us had a horse to ride. We started out for the mountains near my brother  Ed’s place in Strawberry. Alf had met several friends and wasted valuable travel time. We didn’t go far before Alf’s saddle turned and his sleeping bag fell off. Before many minutes we were on our way again. His lost sleeping bag wasn’t noticed until we were well up on the hill. We back tracked for a short time. It started to get dark and I wanted to turn and go back up the hill, but Alf said “no” he was going on down the hill. I left Alf and went back up alone. After two hours travel it was quite dark. I camped off the ridge under a pine tree. I tied my horse, made a fire and was set for the night. I didn’t sleep very much, but I saw more starts that night than I have ever seen in my life. Daylight came and I was up and found a watering hole to water my horse. I saw bear tracks all around and realized why my horse had been so uneasy during the night. My brother Ed and his 13 year old grandson came along and I joined them in a deer hunt. After an all-day hunt we went down a steep canyon and we saw a big black bear and two cubs across our trail. The cubs went up a tree, being afraid of the dog, and the old bear ran into the brush out of sight. The next two days meant lots of riding, resulting in saddle soreness. On the fourth day we got a five point buck. I went home with exciting experiences to relate to my family and friends.

          For several years Laura and I would to go Rawlins Wyoming to Wanda and Byron’s during antelope season. Byron and I would drive out in a truck and hunt antelope, which was an ideal way to hunt as we did very little walking. Sometimes it took a couple of days to get what we were after, but success was always obtained. Antelopes are the fastest animals in the United States, and sometimes when we would see them out of shooting range we would shoot anyway just to see them run.

          A very special day in my life was to have lived with my wife for fifty years. We enjoyed a wonderful reception given in our honor by our children on February 25, 1955, as South Weber Hall in South Weber, Utah. An orchestra was arranged for dancing and a program was given by members of the family. A short history of our lives was read and compiled by Blaine, serving as master of ceremonies. A four tiered cake was baked and decorated in gold and white and was served with punch to about 300 friends and relatives. Carnation corsages were worn by each member of our family. A cymbidium orchid in gold was for Laura and yellow rosebuds for my lapel. The reception line included my entire family; Vergie May Rock, Elda Iris Pace, Merle Bybee Ball, Laura Leone Bates, Marvin Blaine Fernelius, Wanda Marie Van Zandt, and Ronald Dean Fernelius. (Five daughters and two sons.) All married and have children. We renewed the family tie of relatives and acquaintances acquired many years ago.

Cutting the cake again 

        

Heber and Laura's children and in-laws at their 50th wedding anniversary.

Both of our sons have served terms in the armed forces. 

Heber and Laura with Blaine

           Blaine fulfilled a mission to California. Leone and family fulfilled a mission to New Zealand during the building of the temple and college. Grandsons Max Bates labored in Central Atlantic States, Ronald Pace went to North Atlantic States and Kenneth Rock to Sweden. Gordon Rock filled a mission to the Central States.

          With our family growing in number, we talked about having a reunion every other year. The first was planned to be at Donner Lake, California, August 20, 1960. A very fine weekend was enjoyed with swimming, boating, water skiing, horseshoe, hiking and various outdoor activities. We were there when the workmen excavating for the new highway set fire to a pile of debris. A gust of wind engulfed it and burned many acres of timber from Donner to several miles back into the timber lands. By July 1962, the family assembled in the Kamas Canyon in Utah with camping supplies and had a wonderful weekend enjoying family associations and outdoor fun. Of the 95 members, 55 attended. Salt Lake Canyon was the site in 1964 for a full day of being together, cooked meals over camp fires, hiking, fishing and fun playing ukuleles and singing. It was a cool day so everyone kept busy to keep warm, yet having fun doing it. In 1966 was spent in the mountains above Hoytsville. Everyone attending reported a most enjoyable weekend.

               I was 80 years young on April 2, 1964, and a dancing party was held in my honor at South Weber Hall. Friends and relatives were invited and all my family attended. I had a beautiful cake with my picture on the very top. A program was given with many of my family participating. A poem for the finale entitled, “The Saga of Heber from Weber,” highlighted the evening. The poem ended with “Having the finest father and grandpa in the land.”

          I worked as a janitor helper for the Weber County Schools for four years. I retired from that to just take care of a vegetable garden and fruit orchard.

          I still drive my car and travel short distances to visit our family and friends. We enjoy the radio and television, also attending church meetings, reading a great deal and especially like to have friends come to visit.

          Laura was hospitalized in 1965 for the removal of cataracts from both eyes and is getting around very well with special glasses. Later in 1966 she developed a diabetic condition, but with a special diet and pills she is progressing to better health.

          At this date, (June 1967) we have: seven children; twenty-nine grandchildren; fifty-eight great grandchildren.

Compiled and written by Merle Bybee Fernelius Ball

The cover of Heber Arthur Fernelius' life history

          Other Pictures of Interest

Heber and Laura's daughters, Vergie wearing the necklace, baby Merle and Elda. 

The old school house that Heber and Laura bought. They lived in one side and rented out the other side. I remember the beautiful little home and the wonderful feeling inside. This picture does not do it justice. It was torn down a few years ago. 

From L to R- Donna Rock with her father Thomas Russell Rock, Heber, Laura, Vergie with her brother. 

Heber and Laura

Heber and Laura taken on January 1, 1943.

This is the writing on the back of the picture taken on January 1, 1943.

Heber and Laura

From Left- T.R. Rock, Laura seated, Heber, Vergie.

Heber and Laura's beautiful daughters taken May 6, 1971. Back row- Elda Pace and Vergie Rock. Front row- Leone Bates and Wanda Van Zandt.

Heber and Laura May  Fernelius

Heber and Laura May Fernelius

Laura May Bybee Fernelius visiting family (Kenneth Rock) after Heber's death.

This history was retyped, pictures were scanned, edited and added by Christina Rock  Summers with love to honor Heber Arthur Fernelius. Dedicated to Kenneth Heber Rock. Kenneth also served a mission to Sweden 50 years after his beloved grandfather Heber Arthur Fernelius. Kenneth served in Jonkoping and Halmstad.