A Life
Sketch of
PATISON
DELOS GRIFFETH, JR.
Delos was born October 7, 1880 at Hyde Park, Utah in what was called the
‘Old ADOBE’ house. It was located on the north side of main street, between the
old home of Grandfather Griffeth, Bishop William Hyde.
All of his brothers and sisters, except his two youngest sisters, were
born there. Delos was the fifth child of George Andrew Griffeth and Nary
Elizabeth Thurman. His grandparents were, Patison Delos Griffeth and Elizabeth
Carson; Edward Thurman and Nary Ann Gibson.
Delos was born of good parents who never had a great deal of wealth but
had a house full of love. He was a large baby of about eleven pounds, but
didn’t have the best of health in his early life. He did chores as other farm
boys do--chopping wood, herding and milking cows, feeding calves and pigs,
plowing etc.
One thing I remember, seems to be his special job and that was getting
the ducks out of the pond for his mother. The pond had an island in it and the
ducks liked to go over to it to nest. Many eggs and little ducks were wasted.
He would throw clods behind the ducks and drive them to shore. It took patience
and skill. It was such fun to help to help mother drive then on into the pen.
In the winter the pond would serve as a skating rink. Delos, was an extra
good skater. Speaking of skating, there was a slough near the school house, and
we all played on it in the winter time. Delos and one of the other big boys
used to take a long strong stick and hold to the ends of it. Then four or five
of us little girls would hang on while they skated, around and around we would
go over that slick ice. Talk of fun! Big boys, like Delos, were kind to little
sisters in those days.
We walked a mile to school and were taught in a one—room log house. The
windows were very high. I believe there were six of them. The door was at the
east end. The windows were at the south and on the north. It seems that the
room was rather dark. There was a pot bellied stove in the middle of the room.
The pipe went up nearly to the ceiling then turned and went to the west wall
over the teachers desk. If it happened to fall-—poor teacher.
We went about half a mile for our drinking water. We all drank from the
bucket with the same cup. Our dinners were in hard buckets which we sat in the
window until noon. We had double desks. Delos, and a boy named Albert Taylor,
sat in the last seat on the north side of the room. All of the little girls
used to go down to them to get their pencils sharpened. When walking to school,
little sister would often get tired so Delos, would usually give her a
piggy-back ride for several rods. He was that kind of a big brother.
He did his share of teasing though. When he’d catch his two little
sisters dressed up in long skirts and what goes with them, he would take their
dolls and make a big fuss, tossing them up and down. One day he was very sorry,
when a little hand struck the china head then fell to the ground causing little
sister to burst into bitter tears. Another time the little girls crawled into a
pig pen, where two big sow were rather than face his teaching.
One year an old man, who chewed tobacco, taught in our district. The big
boys used to wait until he started home for lunch, then they’d run and catch up
with him and begin to ask questions. He didn’t want them to see him spit
tobacco juice. They would nearly choke the poor fellow.
Delos loitered at milking time, then coaxed one of the girls to go with
him. The three cow were tied to a post inside the haystack yard, One time he
dared the little sister to crawl under the cow he was milking. She did and the
cow didn’t seem to mind. He had a cow named Sal. She loved him dearly and would
come from the field at his call and let him ride her. He enjoyed horses, too.
He was a good rider and he enjoyed caring for them. He was kind hearted with
all animals.
He was musically inclined. When his parents felt rich enough to buy an
organ——a real one, they had a folding one before——Delos was chosen to be the
one to get the twelve free music lessons. He was the most gifted one in the
family. He made good and became a music teacher, which turned out to be the
greatest blessing of his life, for while teaching a small class at Dayton
Idaho, he had a lovely little student with dark eyes and a pleasant smile, who
afterwards became the mother of his seven children. Her name was Cloie Perkins,
daughter of Nephi Perkins and Elvira Mendenhall.
Cloie and Delos were married June 28, 1911 in the Logan L.D.S. Temple.
Their children are: Louva G. Rawlings, Preal Olsen, Lale G. Gailey, Yula G. Osgood, Vora G. West
(divorced), Mary Voyn G. Edwards, and Kwen Delos.
Delos was a good dancer, taking prizes, but he played for others to dance
more than he danced himself. When he was a small boy, he accompanied his
father, going all over the valley to play for dances. He played the organ,
banjo, violin and guitar.
He was a good athlete, always winning the foot race at the Fourth of July
celebration at Fairview. He was active in church work, being ward chorister,
Scout master, Sunday school chorister. He was also the assistant school
chorister when he attended the Oneida Stake Academy. He filled a mission for
the church about 1909 to 1910. He was a good speaker. At one time the Bishop
invited all to be at a meeting which he was sure would be good, He said,
Brother Delos is going to be the speaker’.
He was a bit touchy as all musicians are, but he was kind, sympathetic,
unselfish and gifted. He was quick witted and liked to hold his own with smart alecks.
At one time a new girl came into town. We were at a party at the home of James
Bodily. The asked the girl to sing.
She made excuses. Finally she said she couldn’t without an accompanist. Someone
said, ‘Delos has his guitar and will play with you.’ She said, ‘What can you
chord with Delos?’ He said, ‘I could chord with Katie, if she’d come over. She
was on the other side of the room. About one bounce took her over to where
Delos was. She sang ‘Under the Enhouser Bush.’
Delos was a tall, graceful man and such a good dancer partner. At one
time he asked a girl to go to the show with him. He took his sister, Gertrude,
who was a close friend of the girl. The girl said, ‘She didn’t know that he
would have to take his sisters along’. I think he was real interested in the
girl, but never asked her again. He said, ‘1 wonder if she thinks I’d slight my
sisters for her?’
His wife, Cloie, was different. She’d say, ‘We are having a dance in
Dayton, bring the girls and come on over.’ We girls appreciated his loyalty and
consideration, he was a wonderful brother.
He wrote many short poems such as the following:
Many are the memories,
Each year at Christmas time,
Ringing forth the olden Story,
Ringing forth the olden rhyme;
Young dreams once, now worn by time.
Change not the olden customs,
Hold fast to old refrain,
Retell the wondrous story,
In music speak again;
End to the high--to the lowly,
Tidings that Christ will reign.
May the joy of Christmas
Always be sung anew;
Saints and sinners
Praising all the nation through.
Patison Delos Griffeth, Jr.
November 1, 1963