The Life and Times of Herman Heath

Welcome!

2015-12-06T19:23:00.000-08:00

Welcome family members! I hope that you will visit this site often and help contribute to writing the life history of Herman Heath. I will include major portions of the work Kimberly Eden did on dad's early years and marriage to Beulah. Then I will transition into his marriage with Twyla into the present. I look forward to the stories and life experiences that we can all share!

A Red Reaction

2010-06-29T09:02:00.000-07:00

I remember not long after we mover to Downey from Arizona, mom and dad decided to remodel the old greenhouse into a new addition for the house. Mom and I left for school. Dad worked all day in painting the new addition to have it ready for mom when she got home from work. Instead of doing it one simple color, he wanted a reaction. He painted the whole addition a nice whit the went back and painted one wall and the trim a bright fire engine red. He got the reaction he wanted from mom and us, then quickly repainted it to what mom wanted! It was hilarious!
~ Kantessa Heath, daughter

May I Have This Dance?

2010-06-23T15:41:00.000-07:00

Mom (Twyla) and dad joined the square dancing club Country Carousels when we lived in St. George, Utah. They also had Jessica, Hannah, and I join. We would attend the weekly practices and then would go to different jamborees to dance. We each had our outfits with out petticoats and frilly underwear. As part of the square dancing club we were able to go dance at the Grand Canyon and the Glen Canyon Dam at Lake Powell, AZ.
~ Sarah Juarez, daughter

The Drive

2010-06-23T15:27:00.000-07:00

When I was in 4th grade dad got a job teaching on the Navajo reservation in Tuba City, AZ. Mom (Twyla) was still working in St. George, UT and they decided it was best for the family to separate geographically for awhile to help make ends meet. So dad, Sarah, and I moved to Tuba while Jessica and mom stayed in St. George. The first year there Sarah and I both lived with dad, but the next year Sarah decided to stay with mom and only I stayed with dad. Almost every weekend we would make the four hour drive back to Utah to see the rest of the family. This continued for a few years until about a year after Kantessa was born. The whole drive we would be listening to dad's country tape. The two songs I remember the most were "Amazing Grace" and "How Much is that Doggie in the Window."
~Hannah Hamilton, daughter

Crazy Chores

2010-06-23T15:04:00.000-07:00

When we lived in Tuba City, Arizona, mom and dad bought a Chevy Astro van. They made sure that it didn't have any carpet in it, but a plastic floor. About once every couple of weeks we would have to go outside and spray out the van to wash it. They it would have to be air dried so it wouldn't mildew and smell.

Dad was very particular about getting rid of dandelions in the grass. he would send us outside with a butter knife to cut the dandelions out of the lawn. We were not allowed to pull them or just cut off the tops. We had to dig down and then cut the entire plant out of the lawn.
~Sarah Juarez, daughter

T-Shirts Galore!

2010-06-23T14:56:00.000-07:00

One day as mom and dad were out driving, they came upon a fabric store that had a table full of t-shirt material at a really good price. So what do they do, buy all of it. They came home with a ton of material and mom proceeded to make us all shirts and underwear. The shirts weren't the most fashionable and when kids would make comments about it, I remember telling them that at least our clothes were made with love.
~Hannah Hamilton, daughter

Ghosts

2010-06-23T14:51:00.001-07:00

When we first moved to Tuba City, dad, Sarah, and I lived in a trailer house provided by the school district at the far end of town. We lived right in front of the hills on a cul de sac. At night Sarah and I would freak out hearing foot prints in the hall when everyone else was asleep. We had been told that the trailer park was built over an old cemetery or burial grounds. We were certain that we were hearing ghosts in the night walking through our home. Dad tried to reassure us that it was just the heater making noises, but we felt differently.
~ Hannah Hamilton, daughter

Movies

2010-06-23T14:04:00.000-07:00

The first movie dad ever took me to was when we lived in St. George I believe. I don't remember why he had taken me, but we went and saw the James Bond movie "Never Say Never Again."
~Hannah Hamilton, daughter

Listening to the Sounds . . .

2010-06-23T13:57:00.000-07:00

While living in Tuba City, dad loved to play his records throughout the trailer. He would always have on Patsy Cline, The Mandrel Sisters, and other old country singers. Modern country was an abomination to him and not really country at all. If he didn't have his music going he would often be lying on his bed watching TV (the only TV in the house) watching his favorites such as Hee Haw, Bonanza, Andy Griffith, Perry Mason, Laurence Welks, Gunsmoke, and any John Wayne or Clint Eastwood movie.
~Sarah Juarez and Hannah Hamilton, daughters

Fishing Floats

2010-06-22T20:33:00.000-07:00

While living on Wake Island we would go swimming in the coral reef. The tide would carry in Japanese fishing floats that we would collect. We ended up with over a hundred of them. Some of these we still have. Most of the time living on Wake Island dad was sick. After leaving the island, dad ended up having surgery for stomach ulcers.
~Kristena Eden, daughter

Learning to Drive

2010-06-22T20:28:00.000-07:00

Dad taught me to drive in a 1955 TMC flatbed truck.
~Jeff Heath, son

Peas, Jokes, and Spud Bars

2010-06-22T20:24:00.000-07:00

I remember eating peas out of Grandpa's garden in Price, Utah. I also remember sitting around listening to grandpa telling jokes with my dad Jeff. Grandpa would send our family a big box of Idaho Spud Bars every year for Christmas.
~Kyle Heath, grandson

Falling From The Sky

2010-06-22T20:20:00.000-07:00

One day Dad took Jeff and I out flying in his plane. Dad hit an air pocket and lost altitude. I started screaming because I thought we were going to crash.
Gail Heath, son

Overkill to Hunting

2010-06-22T20:14:00.000-07:00

One time when Jeff and I went hunting dad forgot to change out the armor shell bullets. So when they would shoot a deer it would blow massive holes in the deer, shooting blood and guts everywhere.
~Gail Heath, son

Beans Anyone?

2010-06-22T20:10:00.000-07:00

Dad loves beans with ham, so quite often he would cook up a pot of beans for dinner. Many times it would be for Sundays. There were many times where he would race mom (Twyla) home from church and get his pot of beans cooking before mom could get dinner started just so we could have beans for dinner. This was not always appreciated by the family as many of us didn't like his beloved beans and ham.
~Kristena Eden and Hannah Hamilton. daughters

Burnt, Hairy Deer Meat

2010-06-22T20:07:00.000-07:00

When dad would go hunting and kill a deer, he wouldn't always get it cleaned very well. So we would then end up eating burnt (dad always likes his food very well done), hairy deer meat.
~Kristena Eden, daughter

Dad's Form of Begging

2010-06-22T20:04:00.000-07:00

When one of us kids would come and ask dad for something, whether it was a treat to eat or going out with friends, over half of the time he would tell us to "lay down, roll over, and bark." If we were willing to do this then we would get whatever it was we were asking for, so most of the time us kids would then lay down, roll over, and bark.
~Hannah Hamilton, daughter

Building

2010-06-22T16:02:00.000-07:00

My favorite thing to do was to build houses with dad. I liked fixing up the houses and build furniture with him. Dad would build the furniture and I would finish it. We made a cedar chest that Jeff also helped with. I would also finish furniture next to dad while he worked on building his airplane in the living room.
~Kristena Eden, daughter

Prairie Dog Days

2010-06-22T11:18:00.000-07:00

One day Dad and I were playing around in Grand Junction, Colorado. They found a baby prairie dog whose eyes weren't even open yet. Dad let me take it home. I took it with me to school and everywhere I went. We lived in a trailer house at the time and it would come in my room and scream at me to feed it. One day it was running through the house chasing Gail when he slipped and stepped on it, killing the prairie dog.
~Kristena Eden, daughter

Going to the Hills

2010-06-22T11:15:00.000-07:00

I also remember going out in "the hills" on Sunday afternoons and grilling on the hibachi. We would play in the woods while dinner was cooking and then go rock hunting afterwards.
~Jessica Kitterman, daughter

Fishing the Green River

2010-06-22T11:12:00.000-07:00

I remember going on fishing trips to Green River and camping in the back of Dad's truck. We had to catch grasshoppers to bait our hooks. We poked the hook between the eyes and it made a crunching sound- gross!
~Jessica Kitterman, daughter

Animal Escapades

2010-06-22T11:06:00.001-07:00

Dad has always been very good with his animals. Growing up dad and I used to go on rides through the mountains. On these rides we took our dog Sweetheart most of the time. We used to drop him off and drive away, and the dog would always follow us home or until he got tired.
~Kaselehlia Heath, daughter

Beula's Death

2010-02-05T09:04:00.000-08:00

Written by Kimberly Eden, Heath's Row: A History of Herman and Beula Heath

Herman and Beula moved to Price, Utah in 1978 where Herman worked under Kent Eden, his son-in-law, at the College of Eastern Utah. Beula taught at Hunington Elementary until the day she died. Buela died on March 11, 1981 from breast cancer. She was interred in the Wellington Cemetery on March 14, 1981. She taught up to the last two weeks of her life. Beatrice remembered the day she died. "I was with Beula in the bedroom. I had bought her the wig she wanted to be buried in. It was morning. Herman was in living room reading the paper. Gaile was in the kitchen. Kristena was outside taking her children to the car to stay with a friend.

Married Life with Beula and Children, Part 4

2010-02-05T08:44:00.000-08:00

Written by Kimberly Eden, Heath's Row: A History of Herman and Beula Heath

Herman and Beula were both known for their skills in the classroom. Herman was well liked and many of his college students sought him out as a friend. They spent time together outside the classroom on many occasions. He was well respected amongst his colleagues and on occasion, if they wanted a practical joke,they would ask his advice. In college Herman played practical jokes during his chemistry lab. He was enrolled in an organic chemistry lab and one day he handed his lab partner a firecracker, which he lit. The explosion caused the professor to run to them exclaiming, "What happened? Where's the blood?" Herman was laughing so hard he had to leave the room. The other students didn't dare look up from their experiments in determination that their experiments didn't explode. They thought someone was dead. As a teacher his approach did not change. The biology teacher in Moab asked Herman for a simple acid. Herman asked what kind, but the teacher said any kind. Herman gave him one that had a horrific small. When the teacher realized it he came back shaking his fist at Herman and said, "I should have known better when you asked me which acid." Herman also had a late policy rule that stated: "If you can make up a reason I have never heard you will not be sent to the "war department" (vice Principal's office)." One day a student came in late to class and Herman asked him why he was late. "I was backing out of the driveway and hit a bump and all of my spark plugs fell out." Herman told him to sit down.

Beula was also well respected, though she preferred teaching the younger children. She spent most of her free time and extra cash on teaching her poor students personal hygiene and reading outside the classroom. She started reading and Spanish after-school programs. Kristena spent two nights a week with Beula helping in the reading programs. Beula was also well liked by the staff. The last few weeks of her life Beula taught in Hunington Elementary and received many notes of encouragement from the children in her class. Parents also wrote letters of gratitude to Beula for her extra care and ability to reach children. Beula found teaching an inspiration in itself-"None of the things that I have done or seen can ever be completely hidden from those that I come in contact with particularly in the classroom. The main thing is a progressive district with the education of the children placed as the goal and that education is the best that it can conceivably be. Any district that is not satisfied with just a good education for its students sounds like something that I would like to be part of."

Married Life with Beula and Chldren, Part 3

2010-02-05T08:02:00.000-08:00

Written by Kimberly Eden, Heath's Row: A History of Herman and Beula Heath

Gail lived with Herman and moved to Wake Island with him. Gail and Herman taught math and science on the island for a year. Wake Island is a large coral reef with a few natives and as air force base. The fish from the coral are incredible and poisonous so most food had to be flown in. Beula and Kristena visited them after Christmas. Jeff was serving a mission in Argentina. The next year Kristena attended the College of Eastern Utah and then transferred to Utah State University where Beula also attended the following year. Beula attained her Masters in Education in 1975. During the summer Kristena met her husband Kent Eden at the College of Eastern Utah. In 1971 Herman, Beula, and Gail were on Panape Island teaching. Jeff met his wife Cathy that same year. Both Jeff and Kristena were married the summer after Herman, Beula, and Gail's return from the South Pacific. Gail graduated from high school nearly two years after leaving Yuma, Arizona. He served a mission in London, England.

Beula and Herman remained in Yuma for the next few years, each teaching in a different school district; the law didn't allow for a husband and wife to be teaching in the same district. Beula taught in Somerton, just outside of Yuma. Gail returned from his mission during this time and attended Arizona State. He majored in geology and finally attained a Masters in Geophysics. Jeff had entered the Air Force and got a bachelor's degree in Industrial Arts some years later. Kristena finished her bachelor's degree in Family Living and Home Economics at the University of Utah.

Jeff and Fail were eight years apart in age and even though they lived together, Jeff left home before Gail was fully grown. They spent happy years together with their father in Moab, Utah hiking, rock hounding, and flying the homemade airplane. Their favorite story was the day Herman took then hunting for pink leverite. They would use the same trick on their classmates on school field trips. Leverite is a rock-Leave it right where you found it. Jeff didn't spend a lot of time withhis mother or his sister. Gail spent his teenage years with his mother, but she died just after he finished serving a mission. The loss was devastating to all her children. Kristena spent a lot of time with her mother, aunts, and cousins. She spent time with her father, but doesn't remember much time spent with her brothers. "We had nothing in common," was her comment. As a family tradition, they would lie on the cool grass at night and watch the falling stars while Herman would explain the constellations. As children they would also chase fireflies.

Married Life with Beula and Children, Part 2

2009-01-19T14:12:00.000-08:00

Written by Kimberly Eden, Heath's Row: A History of Herman and Beula Heath

Herman and Beula spent the summer in Greeley going to school again. Beula returned to school at this time in her life. She had been a high school drop out, but she explains her change of heart- "We were living in Grand Junction, Colorado where I worked as the assistant bookkeeper and file clerk to a doctor of veterinary medicine. That was a real learning experience for me and I guess gave me the incentive to alter go back to school where I finally earned my degree and teaching certification." She attained her GED through a correspondence course from Scranton, Pennsylvania International Correspondence Schools on October 23, 1958. In 1960 she attended Colorado State Teachers College while living in Greeley. The next year she attended the College on Eastern Utah in Price and had her associates in arts by 1963. She worked at the Blue Flame Gas Company for six months during this time. Her major included Spanish and elementary certification. Beula stated, I have always been interested in the processes of education and am never happier that when I am in the classroom or working with the curriculum {sic}. I am very fond of teaching foreign languages and world and getting to know about them and their customs and ways of life." She continued to explain her desire to immerse herself in the language and customs she taught by actual experience. She enrolled in a study abroad program in La Universidad de Las Americas in Mexico City, Mexico the summer of 1963. She also said,"A language is of little value in and of itself whether in English, Spanish or whatever. The language, the people, the culture, and their world should never be isolated one from the other." Kristena said that Beula's first love was the Mexican people. Beula first taught Spanish and World Geography. She spoke of that time with great emotion, "Since that time I have spent six months in Mexico studying the language and the culture to say nothing of the history and folklore. At that time I never dreamed of the fascination that these people could have for me, to say nothing of the interest and excitement that my travels would add to my classroom."

The next year Beula entered Utah State University in Logan, Utah and attained her bachelor's degree in 1964. Kristena lived with Beula most of this time, or with an aunt or Beula's mother. Herman moved to Moab to teach taking Jeff and Gail with them. Herman attended Utah State University with Beula during the summer months. They both taught in the public school systems in Moab. Herman taught math and science, but his favorite subject was practical jokes. As a teacher he put rotten egg gas in the drinking fountains and would laugh at the reactions the students had to the smell. The principal and superintendent were always angry with him.

Herman did have one passion outside teaching and that was flying. He always wanted to be a pilot. Hermon had a habit of buying homes, remodeling them, and selling them. They would live in a trailer while working on the house. In the home in Moab, Herman decided to build a plane in the living room. He put remodeling on hold and purchased a white J-3 plane with an 85 horsepower engine that would seat two. In the end he had to tear down one wall in the home to allow for enough room. When it was fully constructed he had to take it in parts through the windows and reassemble it at an airport. It took two years to complete. Herman said, "It was an exciting day when it took to the air. Many townspeople came to watch, wondering if it really would fly." Herman flew his plane for a number of years all over Southeastern Utah. He even bragged that "I was stopped {a number of times} by the FBI because I was flying my airplane into Canyonlands National Park." Not every attempt was successful. Dr. Rutt and Herman flew together at times and one time Dr. Rutt crashed the Cessna 140 in the La Sal Mountains. Neither of them was hurt. Gail, Jeff, Kristena, and even Beula took turns flying with Herman. Most of the time Gail flew with him.

Beula moved to Price, taking Kristena with her. Jeff finished high school in Moab and Kristena finished in Price. During that time Beula did another study abroad, but this time in Oaxaca, Mexico. After she finished Herman brought the family down for vacation and to bring Beula home. Kristena remained in Oaxaca for five or six months her fourteenth year. She lived with a family who owned a clothing store for formal occasions. Kristena modeled clothes for them and helped them prepare for the seasons fashion show. After the show Kristena returned to Price and high school where she graduated four years later.

Married Life with Beula and Children, Part 1

2009-01-02T18:25:00.000-08:00

Written by Kimberly Eden, Heath's Row: A History of Herman and Beula Heath

In March 1949 they moved to Dragerton, where Beula's parents were living. Herman got a job in the coal mine. He had worked only a short time when the mines went on strike, which lowered the work week to one or two days a week for almost nine months. Jeffery Lavon was born on December 2, 1949. "He was a beautiful little red headed fellow, who looked exactly like his father." When he was 2 months old he got pneumonia and was in the hospital and recovered after two days, but then Beula spent five days in the same hospital with the same sickness.

In September of 1950, Herman was recalled to the Marine Corps during the Korean War. He was stationed at El Toro Air Base, just outside of Santa Ana, California. where Jeff and Beula, then pregnant, joined him two weeks later. He was promoted to sergeant and recalled to the reserves on temporary service. Herman explained his situation as - "I was supposed to be involved in VI instrument maintenance. As I traveled to El Toro Marine Base in CA, I met Sgt. Wayne Braithwaite who worked in the post office in Ogden Utah. He pulled strings to get me in the post office at El Torro Marine Base. I worked in the post office for one year receiving and distributing mail." On the fifteenth of March 1951 Kristena Eilene was born in the Naval hospital at Camp Pendleton, Oceanside, California. "She was tall and thin like her mama but no means skinny. She had medium brown hair and big blue eyes." For his service in the Korean War, Herman received the National Defense Service Medal.

After Herman was discharged in September of 1951 he worked at US Steel Mine in Horse Canyon until January of 1952 when he returned to Brigham Young Academy and completed his Bachelor's in Geology. He got a job for an oil company in Rock Springs, Wyoming but only remained there for two months before being transferred to Grand Junction, Colorado. He didn't like the work and took a job as a chemist for U.S. Vanadium Development CO. and they moved Herman to Uravan, Colorado. Herman was promoted to manager and transferred to Thompson, Utah. Herman also worked at a service station in the evenings. They were there until January of 1955 and were transferred back to Uravan. While they were there Beula's allergy developed into asthma and in April they moved to Greenview, Utah where they lived until November. They then moved back to Grand Junction where Herman worked for Climax Uranium as a metallurgist and Beula went to work for Dr. Pavetti, a veterinarian. They bought and lived in a trailer on an acre on Elen Avenue.

Jeff started elementary school in September of 1956 and Kristena started the next year but Herman decided to return to school to get his masters, so in late September of 1957, he got a leave of absence and they returned to Provo. Gail Lynn, the third and last child, was born in the Utah Valley Hospital on November 8, 1957. "He had long black hair, blue eyes, and red skin, which soon faded to a peachy white." Jeff was baptized on April 12, 1958 by his uncle Clyde and was confirmed a member of the church the next day by Elder Harold LaMunyou.

When Gail was five weeks old, Beula hound an infection in her breast and was in the hospital for a week. The day after she was released they returned to Grand Junction where Beula relapsed with bronchitis pneumonia and a severe attack of asthma. Spring came before she was well again. In August, Herman was laid off and moved to Ceadaredge, Colorado where he taught school the next two years. Herman, a priest by this time, baptized Kristena on April 18, 1959. She was confirmed a member of the church the same day by Dr. Wallace Ames.

Life During the Great Depression

2009-01-02T17:43:00.000-08:00

Written by Kimberly Eden, Heath's Row: A History of Herman and Beula Heath

The Great Depression hit the U.S. hard but almost no other state was hit as hard as Utah. Utah was the ninth state to receive the most aid from the federal government and ranked fourth in unemployment with nearly 36 percent of the state without jobs. The national average was 25 percent. The wage level declined 45 percent and the workweek by 20 percent by 1932. By the next year 32 percent of the population received their basic necessities through government aid. By then 32 of the 105 banks in Utah had failed and the number of business failures increased to 20 percent.

Few people held jobs long enough to receive unemployment compensation and by the time they were able to procure another job, they were broke again. For many the solution was farming, but the drought conditions made this hard also. During this time the Great Plains suffered an extended drought causing dry windstorms. The overall effect became known as the Dust Bowl and many farms failed leaving people homeless. Utah was part of this Dust Bowl and the rainfall during the year of 1933 was only 51 percent of the normal. The lakes receded and many people had limited use the the water supply.

Gov. Henry H. Blood and George Dewey Clyde worked together to find a solution. Clyde reported that the state's irrigation water supply was at 35 percent and the likelihood of them producing enough food for sheep and cattle that year was slim. The report eventually was sent to the federal government and President Roosevelt eventually sent $600,000 and FERA (Federal Emergency Relief Administration) sent $400,000. The money was used to drill wells, develop springs, line irrigation ditches, and lay pipeline. Also Deer Creek and Pine View dams were built. The drought did not end that year until November. The crops were not rescued, but the brush for the cattle and sheep was benefited. Farming was not a productive enterprise during the depression and many farmers were lucky to break even.

"Hoover Cafes" gave free food to the numberless hungry, but nothing seemed to improve the situation. Divorce increased, birth rate decreased as did the marriage rate. Protesters lined the streets in Salt Lake City, more expressly during the spring of 1931 - the year Herman lived there for first grade with his father. Herman lived in an orphanage from 1926-1929. He lived with his grandmother for a short time and back with his father during 1931-1932. Herman's father worked for the railroad. Five cents was the normal wage and one had to work a long time to earn 1 dollar. According to the Consumer Price Index the dollar in 1935 is worth !14.68 today. Herman remembers school buses had two rows of seats- one on each side and a coal burning stove in the back. Herman's father was quiet and tired of raising kids according to Herman. Their home in Green River did not have indoor plumbing.

Beula Grame's Youth

2008-12-12T13:50:00.000-08:00

Written by Kimberly Eden, Heath's Row: A History of Herman and Beula Heath

On a "dark and dreary day" Beula Grames was the fourth child born to Arthur Joseph Grames and Christina Martina Christensen Grames. She was born in her Grandfather Frames' log cabin in Price, Utah on October 17, 1930 at 12:15 pm, but "I made as much noise as any two healthy children I am told." She changed as she grew-in the years afterwards her determination turned and came forward in a different manner; "She was quiet, but tenacious and very defensive of younger siblings." She would attain everything she wanted but did it all in a quiet manner. Her health didn't always hold either. At age seven Beula had her tonsils removed but that hemorrhaged and she had to have her throat clamped. Only a few years later, age 11, she had rheumatic fever and was confined to her bed for one year; the following year she develop[ed St. Vitus Dance. The doctors did not know a cure' having expected her to die from the fever; they had no advice. St. Vitus Dance is formally called Sydenham's Chorea coming from the Greco-Latin word for choreography of dance and was used to describe religious fanatics' form of worship during the middle ages and who traveled to the dealing shrine of St. Vitus. The disease is characterized by involuntary muscle contractions in the face and extremities. Beula's hands would shake so much that she couldn't feed herself. The central nervous system is attacked as a by-product of rheumatic fever and is often found in children and females from ages 7 to 14. The symptoms last for two to three months and there is no specific treatments. Christina heard of a nerve specialist, a chiropractor, in Provo and after three treatments, Beula was healed. After those two years, Beula was never really well again. She did remark that after surviving these two illnesses, she felt life was worth living.

When Beula was five months old, her family moved to a farm four miles east of Price. They lived there during the Great Depression, but Beula said, "I lived a happy farm life for those times, which was during the depression and World War one ;sic'. So I grew up watching my mother and father worry over farm and financial problems." The farm was flat and dry, but they managed to grow sugar beets. The farm allowed them to sustain the family but not enough to raise the family well.

Beula was seven when her family moved back to Price where her father took another job. That December he died of a heart attack, the third one he endured. He had heart problems his entire life; at age 16 he had his first heart attack, believed to be caused by the whooping cough he had at age two. Arthur married at age 19 to Christina Martina Christensen, a woman two months older than he. They lived at and kept the grounds at city hall. Three years later, age 22, Arthur had another heart attack; the third one killed him at age 38.

Christina was left a widow with six children and worked cleaning offices, cooking in a cafe, and doing laundry. She married again four years later to Leonard Gorley. Beula grew up with Leonard as her father and didn't remember much of her biological father. On January 29, 1942 "my mother married again. Our new father, Leonard Gorley, was a cousin to our father; he was a wonderful man and we were all very happy to have a father again."

Lillian, Beula's older sister, claimed that Beula was Leonard's favorite and he pampered her. The year after the marriage, Christina gave birth to Floyd, the last sibling. Leonard had been drafted before Floyd was born and was not there to help his wife, who had complications during the birth and children at home who needed care. Lillian, who was married, returned home to help take care of her mother, Floyd and Beula, who had rheumatic fever. Leonard returned home soon after and Lillian offered to take Beula, but the doctors said the travel would certainly kill her. So Beula remained at home with her mother for the next five years. Beula started back to school in the eighth grade in 1944. They moved to a farm four miles northwest of Price. "Shortly after we moved the kids who lived next to our home in Price set it afire. It burned everything but our clothes and the few furnishings we had in the two small rooms of the farmhouse."

Television wasn't an option for entertainment, but there were radios and radio programs. Unfortunately, the Grames family couldn't afford a radio, but they were able to compensate for that. Uncle Charlie lived with them for a time and he brought with him an old Edison Phonograph with tube records, which they listened to during the evening hours. When they didn't listen to the phonograph Arthur and Christina would read to the family form library books. The Grames found other forms of entertainment in their surroundings. They had picnics in the meadows where they picked wildflowers. The canal near the farm was a perfect place for swimming.

Herman and Beula Marry

2008-12-12T13:31:00.000-08:00

Written by Kimberly Eden, Heath's Row: A History of Herman and Beula Heath

Herman attended Brigham Young Academy but met Beulah through Barbara Chidester's introduction. Herman asked before meeting her, "Does she have any money? If not I don't want to meet her." Apparently money didn't matter int he end. Beula graduated from Seminary her junior year and her comment was. "I really enjoyed my three years of gospel studies." She continued to explain. "By the time I was a Senior and in my eighteenth year, I had put on some weight and had a well-rounded figure, which attracted quite a number of admirers of the opposite sex. Among them was Herman Lavon Heath with whom I eloped on the twenty-third day of October in 1948. we were married in Las Vegas, Nevada the next day after an all night trip and only one flat tire." There is more to the story from her brother Clyde. He states that the clerk didn't believe that Beula was 18 so he called her home. Clyde was the only one home so he told the clerk he was Beula's father and she had his permission to marry. Clyde told the clerk she was 18. They told Kristena, their second child, they had been on a date on the 23rd of October when Herman said, "Let;s go to Las Vegas." Beula said. "Okay." I must say that is definitely one way to propose. They were sealed in the Logan temple on July 12, 1971.

Herman Enlists in the Marines

2008-12-12T12:58:00.000-08:00

Written by Kimberly Eden, Heath's Row: A History of Herman and Beula Heath

Herman did not finish high school. He was 18 in 1943 and in September before his senior year he joined the Marines. Pearl Harbor had been bombed barely a year and a half before. His name was placed on a plaque in the Price Court House for enlisting. He was assigned the Second Marine Division Sixth Regiment and spent much of the war on special assignments as a scout and sniper. He taught his grandchildren how to shoot a gun also. Part of his job included training any new Lieutenants and rescue and retrieval.

Boot camp was in San Diego and lasted 14 weeks when Herman was sent to Camp Elliot, California for advanced training. After that he was sent to the Big Island Hawaii or Hawaii, Hawaii for more in field training in new recruits and final training. "Following this training, I was sent to Saipan aboard the USS Comet a troop transport ship. I have a bayonet wound in my knee and back that happened during the original invasion. I hobbled to the first aid station for repair. They sewed me up without and anesthetic." Herman was on Saipan for three or four weeks capturing and securing the island. During this time he ran into a number of the enemy. "The closest I ever came to getting killed was our first day in Saipan. There were three of us walking through a grove of trees and I heard somebody in back of us start shooting. We turned around to see what it was about. The guy had shot a Jap sniper up in a tree. He told me that the sniper was aiming right at my back."

Herman also came across a Japanese officer and his girlfriend making love in a cave. He shot a flamethrower and killed them both knowing that :otherwise I might have met him on the battlefield the next day."

"One day we were sitting around eating K rations when a Japanese mortar landed in our midst. We all had to use our toilet paper rations after that. No one was hurt."

"We were about half way through Saipan and my friend Ost from Montana made a foxhole by piling rocks up and covering it with vines. During the night, I heard someone stumble and fall. Ost opened up with his automatic weapon and killed the guy. Way in the distant [sic] a Jap sniper began shooting at us because of the fire action but never hit us."

"After we captured and secured the island, we went to Tinian aboard a Higgins boat. It held 20 marines. Some of the guys went on Amtraks. It took us two t three weeks to capture Tinian. As we were walking past the island, we could hear the Japanese committing Hari Kari, exploding grenades against their chest. I heard many explosions. The civilians in the island were pushed over in a corner and they began jumping off cliffs in order to kill themselves because they were told we were monsters. The way we came at them, they probably thought we were monsters. There was a destroyer sitting beneath the cliffs, broadcasting in Japanese, telling them not to kill themselves."

When the island was secured, Herman was stationed on Saipan for a year. He worked intelligence missions and participated in a "rabbit drive" or skirmish line where they found and killed nearly 300 Japanese, anyone who would not surrender. Next Herman was sent to Okinawa for five or six hours to work an operation with the intent to divide the Japanese troops. "We were guinea pigs sent there to draw the Japanese to us while the main landing force landed in the idle of the island and stretched clear across the island, cutting the Japanese forces in two. We returned to Saipan again because they didn't need us anymore. My division got out of there just in time because all hell broke loose on both sides of the landing party. The resulting battle was horrible but the Americans finally captures the island. When they hit Iwo Jima later we were on standby but never had to go."

Once again in Saipan, Herman trained for the final invasion on Japan. They landed on a rough rocky shoreline roughly 30 days after the atomic bomb was dropped from a plans, the Nola gay, stationed in Tinain. His platoon was stationed as military police in Nagasaki for about three months. Then he was sent to Sesibo, Japan for disbursement to return home. In San Diego, California and Camp Pendleton, Herman was honorably discharged January 25, 1946 on Mare Island were he received $127.73 for transport on the train to Green River and $100 mustering out pay. He received a Good Conduct Medal in 1944 and a WWII Victory Medal, and American Campaign Medal, an Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, and a China Service Medal. His monthly pay rate was $66 as a marine. Upon returning home, Herman received an honorable high school diploma. Soon after, Herman enrolled at BYU Academy and started his education on the GI Bill.

The Teen Years

2008-12-07T15:48:00.000-08:00

Written by Kimberly Eden, Heath's Row: A History of Herman and Beula Heath

When Herman was in high school he took jobs working for the state highway, which paid more. One year he even moved to Price, Utah where he worked for the movie theaters transporting movies from Green River to Price to Cleveland. He attended Carbon High that year and lived with his boss, Ray Web. The other years of school, Herman worked hard with his education and received Excellent Achievement in Oration in April 1943 and a Certificate of Commendation of Public Safety. He also won awards for fourth place in 100-yard dash at 9.8 seconds in Regionals and held the record of first place in track at Green River High School in May 1943. He held the Emery County record in the 100 and 60-yard dash for 20 years. His other track records were in the 440 relay, one mile, and half mile. He won the county championship in the mile, running it under five minutes. He took fifth in the 100-yard dash at state.

Herman Lavon Heath's Youth

2008-12-06T19:42:00.000-08:00

Written by Kimberly Eden, Heath's Row: A History of Herman and Beula Heath

Herman Lavon Heath was born July 1 1925 to William Marquette Heath and Sarah Mae Chidester and blessed august 2, 1925 by Joseph Shepard int he Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Salt Lake City, Utah. He was their third child. Sarah divorced William when Herman was 18 months old. William could not work and take care of all the children so Herman was placed in an orphanage until he was nearly four. From there he remembers getting a sunburn while riding in the family Model T from Salt Lake to Altuna to where his grandmother, Ellen Burgess, lived. Herman claims the sunburn gave him freckles. The only memory Herman has of the orphanage is the fire engine toy his father gave him was taken away by the more dominating children, which angered his father. Many years later, Herman made peace with his mother for never being in his life. He only met her three times in her life. Not all of his siblings survived the unstable life at home. One of Herman's brothers spent a short time in prison for cattle wrestling and then he was sent to the mental hospital.

Herman lived with his grandmother Ellen for a number of years before his father remarried. Herman called her "Little Grandma" but Herman's nickname was Moses because he used to stand with his hands behind his back and walk along or mosey along. Ellen Burgess has remarried to a James Burgess who worked at the quarry that supplied stone for the Salt Lake Temple. Herman lived with them until he was six when his father remarried but his new mother did not live long, dying of heart ailment only a year and a half later. Herman returned to live with his grandmother until the end of second grade when he moved to Green River, Utah with his father to live on a farm. Wilford and Evelin, Herman's elder siblings also lived with them in Little Valley in 1933. The next year, they moved to Elgin on the east side on Green River where they stayed for the next 10 years.

During those ten years Herman did not always live at home. This constant moving continued throughout his life and even probably contributed to it later in life. For extra money and safety, Herman lived with other families in town. He worked for them on the farms, the ranch, building and repairing barns and homes. He didn't enjoy the work as a rancher rounding up cattle because he didn't like horses. He said, "They bite and kick." One day his horse got spooked and bucked Herman off. He walked home and the rancher told him that the lost horse would cost Herman $10 bye the lost saddle $100. Fortunately the horse and saddle were easily found the next day. Herman's main choice of transportation was the bicycle and even took his first date around on it. His other jobs included digging ditches, killing chickens and working any odd job for $.50 a day. He paid for room and board but still managed to save money on the side. He said, "I was grateful to have three meals a day and a comfortable place to stay." His other motive for living away from home was to hide from his abusive older brother. Herman turned his brother's bad behavior into a life long lesson. "I was a good little boy. I never spent a night in jail and the only thing I ever stole were watermelons." To steel the watermelons, he picked them from someone's farm and placed then in the irrigation canals. The melons would float down stream through town and out again where Herman would retrieve them.