Moroni West Smith

1894 - 1971  (76 years)  Submit Photo / Document    Has no ancestors but 5 descendants in this family tree.

• Name	Moroni West Smith
  Birth	1 Aug 1894	Colonia Pacheco, Casas Grandes, Chihuahua, México
  Gender	Male
  Initiatory (LDS)	5 Jun 1925	MANTI
  FamilySearch ID	KWC8-NC6
  Death	14 May 1971	Provo, Utah, Utah, United States
  Burial	17 May 1971	Provo, Utah, Utah, United States
  Person ID	I173824	mytree
  Last Modified	25 Feb 2024

  
  

  Family	Lena LaVerda Poole,   b. 27 Jan 1902, Glenwood, Sevier, Utah, United States d. 4 Mar 1976, Provo, Utah, Utah, United States (Age 74 years)
  Marriage	5 Jun 1925	Manti, Sanpete, Utah, United States
  Children	+ 1. Ramona Smith,   b. 2 Mar 1927, Richfield, Sevier, Utah, United States d. 20 Mar 1979, Provo, Utah, Utah, United States (Age 52 years)   2. Jesse Robert Smith,   b. 15 Nov 1928, Hyrum, Cache, Utah, United States d. 19 Jan 1994, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah, United States (Age 65 years)   3. Diane Smith,   b. 16 Dec 1935, Hyrum, Cache, Utah, United States d. 15 May 2006, South Jordan, Salt Lake, Utah, United States (Age 70 years)
  Family ID	F43129	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	21 Nov 2024

  
  

• Event Map

  Birth - 1 Aug 1894 - Colonia Pacheco, Casas Grandes, Chihuahua, México Initiatory (LDS) - 5 Jun 1925 - MANTI Marriage - 5 Jun 1925 - Manti, Sanpete, Utah, United States Death - 14 May 1971 - Provo, Utah, Utah, United States Burial - 17 May 1971 - Provo, Utah, Utah, United States  = Link to Google Earth

  
  

• Notes

  MORONI WEST SMITH My father [Jesse Nathaniel Smith, Jr.] and mother [Mary Ann Mitchell] w e re both born in Parowan, Iron County, Utah. In 1880, when my father wa s 1 9 years and my mother 17, they were married in the St. George Temple , an d went by wagon to Snowflake, Arizona. Grandfather Smith [Jesse Nath anie l Smith Sr.] had already settled there. In 1884 father took a plura l wife , according to the accepted practice at that time. A year or two l ater fa ther joined other plural families in a move to Mexico, to avoid p ersecuti on at the hands of United States Marshals . I, Moroni West Smith, was born on a hot August 1st, 1894, at Colonia Pa c heco, Chihuahua, Mexico. My father, Jesse N. Smith, Jr., was Bishop o f th e ward at that time. When I was two years old, he moved my mother, M ary A nn Mitchell Smith, and her children, down to the valley from the mo untain s where we lived. My earliest recollection is of the adobe house d own i n the Dublan fields. Father had attended the University of Utah on a scholarship before he w a s married. In my eyes, he was the bravest, smartest, most honest and up ri ght man in the world. He never used offensive language anywhere at an y ti me. Father’s activities were varied: school teacher, farmer, freight er, r ancher. Always I remember teams and wagons, growing and harvestin g [crops ], winter food stored, cattle, horses, cows to be milked twic e a day, pig s and chickens to be tended, wood to chop and be carried t o the house. A t first we got our water from a ditch out in the street. L ater we drew i t up out of an open well about 30 feet from the house. My mother bore 11 children without the aid of a doctor. In spite of h e r frail body, and delicate health, she was a ministering angel of merc y a nd devotion to her large family. Home meant food and shelter and secu rity ; a good book by the winter fireplace; everyone singing while mothe r an d my sisters played their guitars; games, family love, and infinit e peace . I remember Sunday School, and Primary, and day school, and wonderful te a chers. I loved to sing in the operettas, cantatas, and take part in pla ys . I sang in the high school operettas, and one year I sang the lead. I n c ollege I belonged for two years to the male glee club of 24 voices. W e to ok two-week tours of high schools in Utah and Idaho each spring . In 1912, Mexico was torn by revolution. In Chihuahua, Salazar and Vil l a were active. The Church leaders advised the colonists to get out of M ex ico until things quieted down. Father died of a lingering illness 13 J uly , 1912. Two weeks later, mother and her younger children joined the e xodu s to the United States. We had a trunk, a bed roll, and a lunch box , an d intended to return soon. Instead of waiting it out at El Paso, a s so ma ny of the refuges did, mother went to Snowflake, the land of th e Smiths . We kids had hardly seen a relative. In Snowflake there were hu ndreds o f them. We loved them. After two years, it became apparent we would not return home. Mother’ s b rothers sent her money to come to Utah. Parowan! I grew up on storie s o f mother’s childhood home. Nor was I disappointed. The Mitchell uncle s an d aunts and cousins took us right into their hearts. We boys got wor k. Wi lliam sent money home from Arizona where he was teaching school, an d we b uilt mother a four room bungalo[w] near Uncle Will and Uncle Walte r Mitch ell. PAROWAN: Uncle Walter’s saw-mill; the Day Farms; love and go od fello wship. I enlisted in the army June 4, 1917. I attained the rank of sergeant, a n d demobilized from officer’s training school at Camp Pike, Arkansas, t h e latter part of November, 1918. Back home I found a community in quara nt ine for the flu. No work, no socials. I turned to the public library f o r stimulation. There I found an article in an Improvement Era by Profes so r N. A. Pedersen of Utah State University. He said there was a good ch anc e for ambitious, rural youth to work their way through the Universit y . I decided the article was written for me. At that time I had complet e d three years of high school at three different academies . On September 15, 1919, I placed all my saved wages to my mother’s accou n t, borrowed $150.00 from the bank, and went to Logan, Utah. I found wo r k (for two years I milked cows at the college barn) and graduated wi t h a BS degree in the spring of 1922. I was a charter member of the Univ er sity Chapter of Phi Kappa Phi. My major was agronomy [field crop produ cti on and soil management]; minor, was education. I hold a professiona l hig h school teacher’s certificate, and have taught continuously from 1 922 t o 1962, with the exception of two years, 1946-1948. Those years w e trie d the grocery business. After five years teaching in high school , I switc hed to Seminary teaching with the same age group. I received a n MS Degre e in Religious Education from Brigham Young University in 193 2 . I have always loved the doctrine, the brotherhood, and the wholesomene s s of our Church. I have directed music, drama, dance, and games in th e M . I. A. [the Church’s Mutual Improvement Association for youth ages 1 2 t o 18] and in Sunday School. I have served on Stake boards for both or gani zations. I have worked in [the] M. I. A. [Mutual Improvement Associa tion , or Church Teen Organization] superintendency, and have been Sunda y Scho ol Superintendent for many years. In the thirty years [that] my wi fe an d I served as organist and chorister in choirs of four different wa rds, w e produced operettas, sacred cantatas, and special concerts with t he choi r members. I was a member of the Seventy Quorum Presidency for ni ne years . I have written the following dramatic pageants and produced them with t h e help of my wife: Nine graduation pageants for Seminary classes at Ric hf ield when I was Principal there; The Manti Temple Jubilee Pageant (pro duc ed on a double stage east of the Temple for eight nights); The Sevie r Cou nty Centennial pageant, presented two nights at the County Fair Gro unds , (President David O. McKay participated in the final episode); A Re lie f Society Centennial Pageant produced in four different stakes. Over the years my life has been enriched by the association of high sch o ol students, and the members of the several faculties I ave served wit h . It has been my privilege to know many of our beloved Church leaders . Am ong those whom I have known and had some contact with are: Elder Geo rge T easdale and Matthias F. Cowley who came to our home often in Mexico . Som e others: President Anthony W. Ivins, Heber J. Grant, George Alber t Smith , Hugh B. Brown and David O. McKay. Also Elders Joseph Fielding S mith, Jo hn A. Widsoe, Melvin J. Ballard, Joseph W. Merrill, Adam S. Benn ion, Ezr a Taft Benson and Marion G. Romney. Among the assistant to the T welve: Bo yd K. Packer, Henry D. Moyle, ElRay Christiansen, and Alma Sonn e. First Q uorum of the Seventy: Antoine R. Ivins, Milton R. Hunter, Mari on D. Hanks , A. Theodore Tuttle. Dublan gave me my most ideal years; the world was full of beauty and go o dness. There was no evil. The Mormon Colonists of Mexico came nearer li vi ng their religion than any group I have ever seen. My parents were lea der s in Christian living. Parowan ranks in my life because of mother’s family and childhood frien d s and neighbors [who] were so gracious to us. My many cousins afforde d m e the most enjoyable associations. Often the girl cousins were willin g t o act as my date. Harold and Warner were pals. Richfield 1923-1927: I found my wife, Lena LaVerda Poole, and our fami l y began with the birth of our daughter, Ramona . Hyrum 1927-1936: Three more children were born to us: Jesse Robert, Ren a e, [and] Diane. At Hyrum we made a host of friends in different Activit ie s—dancing, drama, Ward Choir operettas, Cantatas, Tennis, Lion Club ac tiv ities, political activities, pageants. We brought many people into pa rtic ipation. Back to Richfield as Seminary Principal 1936-1946. These were our produ c tive years of dramatic pageants. Even yet, people speak kindly of our w or k there. But most important of all, our daughter, Sondra, was born the re . These four lovely daughters and one fine son are a great comfort and su p port for us. We are proud of them and of their life companions. We ar e al so proud of our fine grandchildren—13 of them at this writing. We ha ve be en extremely blessed by the bright spirits whom the Lord has sent t o mak e our family. Provo has been a rich experience socially and culturally; the high sch o ol activities and the Y [Brigham Young University] offerings! Concerts , d ramas, extension classes, leadership weeks, forum Assemblies, specia l dis cussions, ball games, athletic events! I hope to see the Y play an y colle ge football team on even terms. It will come ! The Lord had been good and gracious to me and mine all the days of my l i fe. I have sought Him early and late. May His love and care remain wit h u s and be our intimate companion to the very end of each of our lives , i s my humble and fervent prayer. AMEN