Milton Wilson Earl

Life History Of Milton Wilson Earl

October 1, 1975
Magna, Utah
This history of the life of’ Milton Wilson Earl, was written by his children from records and fond memories of our beloved father who left a rich heritage to his descendents.
He was born November 16, 1875, in Farmington, Davis County, Utah, the eldest child of Milton William Earl and Harriet Saphronia Hess Earl.
Wilson was thirteen years of age when one afternoon his mother promised she would give him an apple if he would watch the younger children while she took a nap. His mother never woke up! She was twenty-nine years old at the time of her death, the mother of seven young children: Milton Wilson, age 13, Chauncy, age 11, Rheumitia, age 9; Eleanor, age 6: Silas, about 2-1/2; and twin infant girls.
At the time of Grandmother Saphronia’ s death the family was living in Georgetown, Idaho, and Grandfather was engaged in carpentry. He found it was impossible to care for his family under these circumstances and they removed to Farmington. Grandmother Saphronia and one infant daughter were buried in Georgetown.
My father and his sister Eleanor went to live with their grandfather, John Earl. The other children were placed in the homes of relatives. I never heard my father say much about this part of his life, perhaps it was too painful.
The Earl family as far back as we have record were all musicians, playing the violin, and my father Milton Wilson was no exception. He was truly a fine musician in every sense of the word. As a young man he played for dances and as far as we know was taught by his grandfather, John Earl. Later he took lessons from George Careless.
He married Emma Lucinda Welling in the Salt Lake Endowment House, December 22, 1898. I have heard my mother tell of their beautiful romance. Louie Welling was the envy of all the young girls, for Wilson was a handsome, talented young man. My mother resented the fact a little, I think, that Wilson always played for the dance and she sat on the side line and waited for him.
Wilson and his young wife lived in Farmington after their marriage, but Wilson wanted something more for his family. So he left Farmington and became a pioneer into Idaho. He liked what he saw there and managed to acquire a small piece of ground with a house on it. So he returned to Farmington, loaded all his worldly possessions, his wife and small son in a wagon and set out for his new home. He made a bed in the wagon for Mother and baby Horace Wilson, and this trip to Idaho took two weeks.
My father had persuaded his brother Chauncy to come to Idaho with him and Uncle Chauney soon found a lovely wife, Hattie Barlow, and they too established a home in lona, Idaho.
About this time a second son, Ray Welling, was born, and two years later a daughter, Ireta, was born. My father found and homesteaded forty acres of ground in a little place called Crowley, Idaho. Uncle Chauncy also found forty acres nearby and so the Earl’s established themselves in Idaho.
I will always remember my father as clean, honest, hard working. He built two or three under-ground chicken coops, filled them with white leghorn chickens and kept them so clean and comfortable. I can still hear those chickens cackling and scratching happily in the clean straw. He raised a beautiful garden; planted lawn and trees and added a “lean too” kitchen to the little two-room house.
I remember we had a small pump organ in our bed-living room. Father had become acquainted with a band leader whose name was Singer. He asked Mr. Singer to give me music lessons. When Mr. Singer asked about the kind of instrument we had
Father told him an organ. Mr. Singer just laughed at him. My father was a humble man, but he was a proud man too. Not long after this incident a piano was moved into our home and my father became my first teacher.
Father could he stern! He wanted things done right. One day after school he was helping me practice. I wanted to play ball and I shed a few tears. My father put down his violin and quietly said, “When you finish with the tears we will go on with the lesson”. One of his daughters plays the violin and two daughters play piano and organ. Father was known throughout the community for his beautiful music. He played a cornet in a marching band and violin in many dance bands. He sometimes drove as far as forty miles round trip in a horse-drawn buggy to bring in extra money to supplement the family income.
As his family grew ever larger, father began looking for a larger farm. He wanted to keep his boys at home and busy. I guess a big part of my growing up and that of my brothers and sisters was thinning beets. We thinned our own fields of sugar beets and then thinned for the neighbors too. Of course this was all done with short handle hoes, aching backs and sometimes sore knees. Father was always close by, either on the cultivator or with an irrigating shovel on his shoulder. We worked very hard during the week but on Saturday he took us all to Idaho Falls for a Chinese dinner. Mother and Dad always worked side by side in everything they did.
In 1918 Father moved his family to a larger farm in Taylor, Idaho. He was Bishop of this ward for five years, 1921—26. Wilson Earl was a gentleman in every sense of the word. He loved children and children loved him. Mother told often of the time during a train trip a young mother was trying desperately to quiet her tired, cross, crying baby. Finally Father could stand it no longer and asked the weary mother if he might take the baby. He took the child in his arm, straightened its clothing, tucked it gently on his shoulder, patting and talking quietly, and in just a minute or two the baby was peacefully asleep. I have seen him do this to other crying babies many times.

Father and Mother always managed to have a nice Christmas for their large family. I don’t know just how they did it, but there was something for every one of us on Christmas morning. A humble man, a religious man, a proud man, a gentle man. When my oldest son was away front home in the Armed Services, he said he missed his home and family but most of all he missed the blessing on the food as given by his Grandpa Earl.
Father was meticulous about his appearance, always neat and clean. On one occasion he went from room to room and then said, “Bob” (his nick name for me) “You are a good housekeeper”. On this same visit to our home he went to the closet and picked out a tie that looked nice with his suit. It was a new tie, and a favorite, belonging to my oldest son. The look of consternation on my son’s face was something to see, but no one said a word and Grandpa Earl walked out wearing a tie that was just to his liking, leaving his own, it was just a trade.
Having raised six daughters to adulthood, it was hard for Father to have Christmas without a new doll. So he bought one, a beautiful baby doll to place in the middle of the bed and be loved by him and all the grandchildren.
At the age of sixty-five years, Father purchased a corner lot in Idaho Falls. He wanted Mother to have a new house with all possible conveniences. He built a fine home there, not far from the Idaho Falls Temple, and took great care in landscaping the area. He and Mother shared this home for five years, until his death at age seventy-two. Father’s hands were knarled from long hard work and he had long since put
his violin away. He said he just couldn’t understand or enjoy Jazz — to him it was just noise, not music. But not long after moving into his new home he became High Priest Group Leader in the Idaho Falls Fourth Ward and someone remembered that he played violin. He was asked to play music for the older people of the ward, the Waltz, Two-step and Quick step. This kind of music he loved and understood, and so once again he tucked the violin lovingly under his chin and many people cheered and clapped and danced to his music.
He died suddenly with only a few days’ illness, on March 4, 1947, at his leaving his beloved wife, Louie, and all nine of his children to mourn his passing. To me, to all who knew him, he was a great man.
Ireta Earl Arave

When my father’s life-long friend spoke at Father’s funeral services his very appropriate theme was: “Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called the children of God”.
Dad was a gentle man. He worked hard, he taught his children to work and perhaps more importantly he worked with his children and taught them to take pride in honest labor. When the work was done he took them to a Saturday night movie or dinner, or for a picnic and swim, and we all went to church together on Sunday.
He enjoyed the simple things available to him. He loved the sound of the old Union Pacific steam engine and found the insistent beat of iron wheels on iron rails exciting. He loved a parade. His enthusiasm for a brass band was enormous and infectious. He wanted his “kids” to enjoy” the sound of music as he did and give each one an opportunity to acquire a skill with piano or violin or voice. His violin had a special quality of tone; whether dance music, religious or just for fun it was sweet to hear and it was good music.
He was a good farmer and with “Louie” a very fine homemaker. Dad’s life was not on easy one. There were many disappointments, many financial worries, and a few heart aches.
Dad had moved his family many times, attempting to provide a better home and more financial security. It was his great desire to provide a permanent home fox Louie, and at the age of sixty—five he purchased a large city lot at 593 K Street in Idaho Falls, and proceeded to build a home. No one else could quite get the vision he had, no one could quite see how he could accomplish this task. He completed the house and double garage, installed a picket fence and retaining wall and thoroughly enjoyed landscaping the lot and planting trees and a garden.

My father was the cherished husband of my mother for forty—nine years. He was Dad to three sons and six daughters. He was a gifted and inspiring musician, a Bishop and a community leader. He was sincere, honest, courageous and highly respected. He was handsome too — tall and straight (about 5’ll”, 150 lb.) dark hair, blue eyes, good posture and good features. He wore a moustache until it began to lose its luster and a little grey appeared, and then off it came. Dad was not about to grow or look old.
I have added this note to the history my sister Ireta has written and can add as she did, “to me, he was a great man. I am deeply grateful to have been born of’ goodly parents and that they lived to see all of their nine children grown to adults.”
Marjory Earl Gilbert

A home built in 1941 "A dream come true"