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BRIEF PEDIGREE:
CLARENCE WALL
VIDA TIMOTHY WALL
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH:
VIDA  WALL
CLARENCE WALL
AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF:
CLARENCE WALL
VIDA WALL
FAMILY PHOTOS:
GREAT GRAND PARENTS
C&V- GRANDPARENTS
C&V- PARENTS
CLARENCE- SIBLINGS
VIDA'S - SIBLINGS
VW- AS TEENAGER
CW- AS TEENAGER
C&V- YOUNG MARRIED
C.& V.- WEDDING
C&V ANNIVERSARIES
C&V- REUNIONS
C&V-REUNIONS-MORE
C&V- MISC. FAMILY
C&V- JIM'S FAREWELL
C&V - KID'S IN 1940's
C&V- KIDS-GRANDKIDS

FAMILY TRIBUTES;
FROM CHILDREN
GRAND CHILDREN
GREAT GRAND KIDS
FROM BOB WALL
OTHER FAMILY
FRIEND' S TRIBUTES   
ACTIVITY PHOTOS:
SPRING CANYON

SHEEP SHEARING
COAL MINING
HUNTING DEER
MORE HUNTING PHEASANTS
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TRAVEL PHOTOS:
OLD UINTAH PHOTOS
UINTAH BASIN 2001
9-MILE CANYON
ALASKA 1995
ALASKA 1981
EUROPE
QUARTZSITE
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BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF CLARENCE OVERLAND WALL
   
by Robert M. Wall - June 24, 2002

Foreward:
I have spoken to Clarence & Vida about their life history on several occasions, and have made a few cryptic notes.  I have been around Vida and Clarence for my entire life and have spent a good deal of time with some of their kids, particularly Jim Wall.  The biographical sketch below was taken from my notes, from my recollections of what I heard from Clarence & Vida, from their handwritten autobiography and from what I observed over the years and from what others have told me.  Also, Wilma sent me a short article about Clarence. In addition, I have borrowed stories and ideas from the tributes written by Jim, Lynn & Dave Wall and others. Any errors or misleading statements should be my responsibility, but if possible, I will try to blame Jim, Lynn or Dave. Alert me to any errors and I will update the internet web site.
Bob Wall

Clarence Wall's Brief Biographical Sketch:

Early Years -Age 1 to 12
Clarence was born on the family farm in Ioka, Utah, on January 15, 1916. He was the third son of Fanny and Wilford Wall.  Clarence was raised in a small farm house with his 4 brothers, Orval, Lloyd, Lowell and Evan and his only sister, Neva.  His Grandpa William Adelbert Wall and  Grandpa Robert Krebs had farms in the nearby area. Clarence sometimes worked on his Grandpa Wall's farm in the summer months.


Clarence's Dad,  Wilford Wall, was quite poor and struggled to keep food on the family table. Clarence and some of his brothers slept in an old un-heated granary that is still on the property. (Note:  A photo of this granary with Clarence in front of it, is shown in Uintah Photos 2001, under Travel Photos).

When Clarence was 4 or 5 years old, the house caught on fire. Clarence was watching Lowell inside the house. Lowell was younger.  Clarence tried to warn his family members, who were working outside, but they could not understand him at first and told him to get back in the house.  Clarence insisted the home was on fire.  Then it was too late and the home then burned to the ground.  The only thing they saved was Fanny's,  Clarence's mother,  sewing machine. 

Fanny was a very good seamstress and made most of Clarence's clothes.  When Clarence was a young child, Fanny worked with her husband to help build the house and she also worked in the fields. And she took care of her babies, who were often left  at the side of the fields, as she worked.  Clarence's Dad, Wilford Wall, was a very hard worker and was very strong.  He worked on his farm, hauled wood from the mountains with his favorite team of horses, raised pigs, chickens, cattle and lambs for food.  In the winter months, he hauled freight between Myton and Price, Utah which is over 40 miles.  In the summer months he farmed his 80 acre place. It was from this lineage that Clarence was conceived.  Clarence shared his mother's warm and friendly attributes and his  father's strength and work ethic.

Clarence worked on the family farm and helped tend Lowell as a young child. He went to grade school in Ioka, Utah and later attended school in Roosevelt, Utah. In those days, his brothers and parents had to work very hard to survive.   Few people  had money to buy food and clothes necessary to provide for their family in comfort.  Their home did not have running water.  They packed water in from the ditch.  They burned wood in an old stove to heat the home and cook food.  The bedrooms had no heat and in the winter were very cold.  Water would freeze in the bedrooms and night.  Every person in the family had to work to help put food on the table. Times were tough.  His father owned a farm and worked hard on the farm and in the mine to support his family of six children. Clarence had to go to work as a young age to help out. He learned not to waste anything.  He remembers hoeing sugar beets for five cents a row, and the rows were 1/4 mile long. He had to work hard to make $1 per day. He also had to pick cockle burs out of sheep wool.  He could earn 10 cents a sheep for his work.  If a person worked hard he could make a dollar a day. 

Clarence's Grandpa Robert Krebs, owned a prosperous farm nearby.  Grandpa Krebs was a very industrious farmer and he lived near Wilford and Fanny Wall's farm.  Grandpa Krebs was a talented musician, a good carpenter, a good farmer and he later built a saw mill in Indian Canyon.  Years later Grandpa Krebs move to Price, Utah and took care of the old Price LDS Tabernacle.  Clarence ( and later Vida) formed a bond with  Robert Kreb's children and their kids and this friendly association has continued until this very day.

 Teen Age Years - Age 13 to 19
Clarence worked on his Dad's farm and his other relative's farms, including his Grandpa William Adelbert's Wall's farm, in Ioka, Utah during  the summer months.  And he attended school in other  months.  His mother Fanny, was ill most of Clarence's life. She was a hard working person with a pleasant personality and cared deeply for her kids.  But she was not healthy and hence could not do many things with her kids.

Clarence, Lloyd and Orval went to Montana in about 1930  to find work on a farm. Clarence was then only 13 or 14 years old.  The pay was one dollar per day for 10 to 12 hours work.  Clarence helped the cooks and helped put up hay.  They were grateful to get a job as there was no work in the Uintah basin, where they were raised.  It is tough when you leave your mother and dad at such an early  age, but Clarence was a tough kid and was prepared to make his mark in life using his own two hands.  He was not looking for someone else to give him welfare.  Clarence said  that although you probably would not know it by looking at him now, when he was young he was a very good athlete. If he could have stayed in school, he would have played basketball and baseball and competed on the track team and boxing team in high school.

Clarence fibbed on his age, at age 16,  and joined the CCC (Civilian Conservation Corp).  This was a program set up by the Roosevelt Administration of the US government to put some young people to work. 

 Clarence, while in the CCC's  first went to Vernal and then to Maricopa, California &  Escalante, Utah.  He remained  in the CCC's for 2 years, working with a pick and shovel on restoring the land, building roads, etc.. The pay was about thirty seven dollars per month.  

 In 1934 at the age of 18, Clarence moved to Spring Canyon, UT and got a job in the coal mines.  He performed many jobs including shoveling coal,  which was very hard work.  But Clarence was a strong young boy and had a good work ethic.  He was not looking for a handout.  He had to work hard on the family farm's and therefore, he knew how to work. It was this work ethic and a desire to improve himself that led Clarence to become Mine Foreman and Superintendent in his later mining years.

When Clarence was about 18, his Dad, Wilford,  broke his back while working on road construction and they eventually lost the 80 acre family farm that Wilford and Fanny Wall had homesteaded.  The farm was sold for about $1,000.  Clarence was then on his own and never did rely on any help from his parents after he became 16 years old. In 1934, he became interested in the coal mines.  Then the mines were paying about $5 per day.  Clarence was excited because he had no idea he could make that much money in one day's time.  He had been earning one dollar a day doing farm labor.  He usually  worked in the mine in the winter and was often laid off in the spring. This was a pattern that repeated itself many times and it allowed Clarence to go sheep shearing in the spring and summer for a number of years.

The Early Adult Years -  Age 20-30
Clarence and Vida were married on December 21, 1935 about 3 months before Vida was 20 years old.  This marriage happened after a courtship of 3 months.  The first date was a blind date.  This was the first blind date Vida had. Clarence told Vida on the second date, that he was going to marry her.  And indeed Clarence did marry Vida after a short courtship that lasted 3 months.  What a great decision this was.  It was  perhaps the best decision he ever made. The time period they married was during the depression years, when 33% of the men in the USA were out of work and food was scarce.  Many people thought the USA economic system was going to collapse.  There were no jobs, and many families had no money for food, housing or clothing.  This was a stark contrast to the roaring 1920's when things were booming in the USA.  But in 1929 the stock market collapsed and almost every company started to lay off their workers. It was hard to get a job and it was hard to earn enough to pay for rent and food for a family. Many men worked for less than a dollar a day and were glad to get a job.  Many families went to bed hungry.  Those were very hard times.

In the spring of 1936, Vida stayed in Spring Canyon to tend Slug Krebs kids, Bud and Bill, while Clarence went to California to tromp sheep wool in those big long bags.  Clarence worked for Slug Krebs, his Uncle. Tromping wool was hard work, but for Clarence that was not a deterrent. (Note: the author of this bio sketch also tromped wool in those 9 feet long sacks.  It was hot, dusty, and hard work and I can readily appreciate what hard work Clarence did to support his wife and himself).

Clarence worked in the mines during the winter months of the mid-1930's.  And typically in April, the coal mines started to lay off miners as the demand for coal declined.  Clarence & Vida went to Idaho in the  summer of 1936 when Clarence was  about 20 years old.  Clarence worked milking cows for the Thousand Spring Ranch near Twin Falls, Idaho.  Orval Wall was a foreman for them.   Clarence was a hard worker and was well liked by everyone.  Clarence milked the famous cow named "Judy."  Apparently Judy was the cow on the Morning Milk can and this cow was heavily advertised in the newspapers of the day.   

Clarence often expressed appreciation for all those who helped him in his early married years when times were tough.  And Clarence was able to help many others throughout his life.  I guess it was a form of payback for the help he received in his early years.

Clarence and Vida returned to Spring Canyon in September of 1936, a year or so after they were married.  Clarence continued to work in the coal mines.  In 1936 they got their first house in Spring Canyon.  They rented this coal company owned home for only a few dollars per month. Work in the mines was usually good in the winter but poor in the summer months. So in the summer months Clarence worked on ranches in  Idaho and later he went on the shearing road to supplement his mining income.  Between 1936 and 1939 their first three kids, Lois, Jim and Lynn were born in Spring Canyon.  By today's standards, those were tough days.  The houses were very small, had no heat in the bedrooms and you took a bath only once per week or so.  Bath water was scarce so all of the kids frequently bathed in the same water. At first the houses had no inside toilets and the women had no automatic washing machines. Instead they had ringer washers and often the kids go their arms caught in the ringers and this was dangerous.  I believe Jim Wall go his arm caught in a ringer.  And of course in those days there were no telephones in the homes.  If you wanted to make a phone call, you had to go to the main store area in Spring Canyon.  When phones were added years later they were party lines so you could listen into your neighbors calls.  Not a bad thing, if you need to find out what as going on.

Every morning in those mining houses you had to build a fire in the kitchen stove to heat water and to cook meals on the top and bake bread in the oven.  Vida would use wood and coal to make a fire.  Then she cooked Clarence breakfast and fixed his lunch.  Then an hour or two later the kids got up and Vida fixed them breakfast again.  The kids huddled around the coal stoves to get warm in the winter.  Most every one wore long underwear as that was the only way to keep warm.  And on the beds you usually had 3 or 4 heavy blankets and quilts as ice would freeze in the bedrooms in the winter months.

In 1937 the famous "tomato incident" occurred when Vida was 21 years old.  Clarence came up behind Vida, who was then bending over.  Clarence, for some strange reason, that no one could ever understand, took a ripe tomato and rammed it up Vida's dress, as she was still bent forward.  Of course the unthinkable happened.  The ripe tomato was squashed, and the tomato particles ran all down Vida's  legs.  Vida immediately turned around and launched after Clarence threatening him with bodily harm as she chased him.  Clarence, being no fool, immediately started to run out of the house, jumped the fence, with Vida in hot pursuit.  Clarence was lucky he could run faster then Vida and he escaped by running down the road.  This was not one of Clarence's best decisions in life as Vida made him pay for that little tomato incident in many different ways, ways which shall not be enumerated here.

Clarence worked inside the mines and the work he did was often very hard labor.  In his early years he put rock dust on the coal vein, worked on a drilling crew, shoveled coal dust  that was generated when he worked on a coal vein cutting device (cutting machine).  And he also worked  a " trip", which brought coal out of the mines.  He was a nipper at first, which was a helper on the Trip.  The trip ( a series of coal cars hooked together and powered by an electrical powered engine) was not nearly as hard of work as shoveling coal dust.  Men rode in the mine on the "trip" which as stated was a bunch of coal cars hooked together.  Sometimes it took over a half hour to ride the motor trip into the mine to get where they were going to mine the coal.  It was dark in the mine and you had to wear a light on your steel cap at all times in order to see.  The only good thing was the temperature in the mine in the winter was not much different than it was in the summer.

 Clarence, and all of the other  miners,  typically came out of the mine black with coal dust from head to toe.  The coal dust got up his nostrils and made his mucous black.  It got in his lungs and made it more difficult to breathe in later years.  Many miners developed black lung because of the dust. At the end of the day, most of the men would shower in the bath houses, and hoist their old clothes up a rope to the top of the ceiling.  And the next work day they would change back into the dirty clothes.  And every man had to get a fresh light every day so he could see underground.  It was cool in the mine and the temperature did not change much even in the winter months.  And once inside the mine, every miner had to be very careful so he would not be killed with a falling rock or with an explosion caused by flammable gases such as methane, which could fill up the mine and be ignited by a spark.  If you did not keep enough air flowing through the mine to sweep out the methane gas, which seeped out of the coal vein, you could become a victim of an explosion or fire.  It was Clarence's job as a foreman to test the air to make sure no gas was present.  To prevent coal dust explosions, the mining crews were required to put a non explosive white powder, called "rock dust" on the walls of the mined coal veins.  Clarence was trained in safety matters and his skills in this area saved a lot of lives that otherwise could have been lost  Clarence served on several mine rescue teams that recovered the bodies of men killed in mine fires and explosions. Clarence saved the lives of some with his first aid skills.  Clarence put out some fires himself, inside the mine, fires  that if left unfettered could have burned up the mine and killed a lot of peoples.

The men could not smoke in the mines so many chewed tobacco, until they realized this was not a healthy thing to do.  And today many still chew tobacco.  Many coal miners sacrificed their health to provide a good income for their families.

The following paragraph was provided by Wilma, and she took it from an  article from a book about coal miners.  The article, published in 2001, was about  Carbon and Emery County history.

"Clarence worked in the winter months in coal mines and was usually laid off in the spring. To supplement his income, he sheared sheep in the spring and summer.  This became a way of life for him and his family.  He took great pride in his work.  For ten years, he worked the coal mines in the winter and sheared sheep from April to July.  He injured his back in the coal mines, which made it harder for him to shear sheep.  He decided to make a full career of coal mining and started working in Hiawatha mine on October 1, 1946.  He worked as a section foreman for fifteen years.  They promoted him to general mine foreman, a position he held until his retirement.  He said he had a few close calls with accidents in the mine but was never hurt too badly.  He has great respect for those whom he worked.  He has been in three separate coal mine disaster rescues.  He was at the Lark mine fire for thirty-two days.  They fought the fire and recovered five victims.  He also helped recover the bodies of two coal miners at Muddy Creek. After a few years, he helped recover the bodies of eight coal miners killed in a mine west of Helper, Utah.  These were unpleasant, upsetting and difficult jobs.  Someone had to be trained to do them and Clarence was grateful for the training and the ability to help when he was needed. Clarence says he and his wife have had a good life.  He has enjoyed being a coal miner and sheep shearer.  He says he has not had a great deal of money but has never wanted for much. He says he has always had a good car, several boats, a camper, good hunting equipment and a good vacation each year". (Note: this is the end of the article)

Clarence's mother, Fanny; died in 1938. Clarence and Vida returned to Midway for the funeral and burial.  Clarence said he cannot ever recall when his mother was not sick.  She had heart trouble and died at a young age.  There are several pictures of Clarence's parents in the Family Photo section of this web site.

On Dec. 7, 1941, the day Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, Clarence & Vida were visiting her parent's in Cleveland, and  Clarence was listening to a near by radio.  The radio described the sneak attack that destroyed the USA Navy Fleet in the Pacific, killed over 2000 American serviceman and started World War II.  This event would change Clarence and Vida's life as it did almost everyone's life in the whole world.  World War II brought a rapid end to the great depression that existed from 1929 until 1941. During this depression era period, over 30 percent of the men were unemployed and food was scarce.  Then many begin to wonder if the USA economic system was going to collapse putting an end to our capitalistic society.  When the War started, suddenly every one could get a job.  Many man and women did get jobs almost immediately and many joined the Army, Navy, Marines or Coast Guard.  The women of America went to work as well in many factories making planes, ships, tanks, ammunition, clothes & other materials for the war effort.  Everyone was encouraged to plant a Victory Garden to raise their own vegetables.  They were encouraged, to save their scrap metal for the war effort and buy USA war bonds.  The whole country was united in one common cause and that was to defeat Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan. Until the war was over in 1945, the coal mines began producing as much coal as they could produce, all year around.  In 1942, almost everyone had some money, but it was difficult to buy many things because the government rationed almost everything to save resources for the war effort.  Sugar, gasoline, tires, shoes, meat and many other things were rationed by the government.  Vida and the other women of the day made many of their kids clothes by sewing them by hand or with a sewing machine. Many of the men planted gardens to help provide food for their family.

Wilford Wall and his sons, Orval, Lloyd, Clarence, Lowell, & Evan had their picture taken in about 1943 before Evan went into the Army to fight in World War II in Italy.  All of the Wall brothers were married and had children and were coal miners. This gave them a military deferment as coal was needed for the war effort.  A 1943 photo is one of the few photos of all the Wall brothers with their Dad.  It is shown on the web site under C&V  Siblings Photos.
 

Here is a paragraph written by Jim Wall, taken from his June 2002 tribute to his parents:

"One time the family ate lunch in Malad, Idaho then went up a canyon to set up the shearing corral. Dad parked the trailer and went to the sheep herd to set up the plant. He soon realized he was very sick and drank a full gallon of water and forced it back up. Then he returned to the trailer and found Mom and us kids passed out, due to various stages of food poisoning. Dad loaded us in the car and drove us to the nearest hospital. Now the story has a small variance as to where we went.  I always thought we went to Downey but Mom said it was Malad.  Since I am working on a memory span of about 59 years and Mom was very ill, the reader will have the opportunity to add to the story any facts they wish. Mom required stomach pumping and the kids got by drinking a lot of warm baking soda water. The next morning Dad was paying the bill, which was around $30.00. Of course being the impetuous and proud son I said to the doctor” Do you know my Dad makes a $100.00 a day” I couldn’t figure out what the problem was when Mom unceremoniously escorted me to the car.  It may have been compounded when I told the doctor, that our Dog Swarts had eaten a hamburger and he was also near death. " (Note: end of Jim Wall paragraph)

Clarence worked at Spring Canyon mine until 1946, the year after World War II ended.  He had studied and obtained his fire boss papers  and was hired by Hiawatha Coal Company  in 1946.  In 1946, at the age of 30, Clarence and Vida bought a 20 acre farm in Cleveland, Utah and moved there.  The lived in that farm house and raised there kids until 1961.  There were many fond memories for the whole Wall family during their years on the farm.  Clarence and Vida raised a big garden.  If you went there, they would load you up with vegetables.  And they invited all Wall family and many of their friends to hunt pheasants every November.  I can still recall Vida fixing a big dinner for all of us pheasant hunters and feeding us breakfast and supper as well.  See Vida's Biographical sketch for more details.

During the period of 1941 to August of 1945, the coal mines worked almost 24 hours every day.  They were producing coal for the World War II effort.  So Clarence worked steady and hard during this period.  He saved his money to buy a farm in Cleveland.  They paid cash for their Cleveland  farm and the money was earned during the War years when many things were rationed and you could not buy much gasoline, sugar, automobile tires, shoes, etc.  So instead of spending their money, they saved it.   Clarence did get to buy more gasoline and other products than did the average person, because he sheared sheep and could get ration coupons that allowed him to buy tires and gas.  Wool was needed for the war effort and the sheep shearers were regarded as lucky guys as they got to travel to Idaho, California and Montana to shear sheep.  And while they were there, they managed to spend some time fishing on the Madison River in Montana, where they caught big 5 to 10 lb rainbow trout.  This was the only real vacation they got, and even then the women were responsible for cooking, living in a tent or small trailer and watching the kids while the men fished the swift Madison river.

From the late 1940's until the 1970's, Clarence & Vida hunted in the Duncan Mountains with other members of the Wall family and  members of the Krebs family and other friends of the family.  Clarence always got his buck and one year he killed 5 bucks.  Clarence was an excellent shot with a rifle.  As I remember he sometimes used an old 30-40 Krag.  Clarence and Vida always set up their cook tent with their big grill inside the tent.  They usually cooked for the entire crew.  Clarence was a good cook, having been trained as a cook for the ranchers and sheepherders in his early years.  He got up early every morning and cooked hot cakes and eggs.  I can still taste them now.  They were terrific.  And Clarence was a happy go lucky guy who was nice to have around.  Vida managed the food and pretty much organized the whole camp. She was very generous with her time, her food, and her management skills.  And like Clarence she was very nice to have around.  It did not seem like a real hunting trip if Clarence and Vida were not there.  These were happy times for the Wall family.

Clarence  helped organize the hunting parties and he would always give everyone else first opportunity to take the best hunting places.  Clarence would invariably take the least desirable place and tromp threw the woods trying to chase a deer into the path of the other hunters.  When one of them shot a deer, Clarence would offer to pack it back to camp, even if it were up a steep mountain.  Clarence was very strong and could carry a large 4 point buck straight up a steep hill until he exhausted the rest of us, who were packing his rifle.  If Clarence shot a deer, and some other hunter thought he hit it also, Clarence would usually give the deer to him.  As a teenager, I could not understand why Clarence did this.  I thought he should have told the other party that they could not have possibly shot that deer.  But Clarence was a bigger man than the rest of us, and he understood the big picture better than the rest of us. He realized that to fight over a deer was setting a bad example for the young Wall boys who were just growing up and learning life's valuable lessons.  All of us can be thankful we lived around Clarence and Vida.  We are thankful and should be very grateful for  many reasons, only some of which are elucidated herein.

Clarence always had a good deer hunting story to tell.  One story I remember was when Clarence said he or his buddy shot a deer that was coming over the ridge.  He went over and cleaned out the deer and then another hunter came over the hill and said that is my deer that you are cleaning.  Clarence said to him, how can you claim this deer when I shot it right here in this area. The guy said my tag is on it, and sure enough it was.  Apparently the guy shot the deer on his horns, knocking him out just long enough to put his deer tag on the buck.  Then the deer got up and ran over the hill and Clarence said he then shot him.  So Clarence told the guy, if you can run fast enough to put your deer tag on a buck, it must be your deer.  I don't know if that story is true or not, but it sounded good when Clarence told it by the campfire after a hard day's hunt.  Many of the miners told deer hunting stories in the mines and when hunting, they often told mining stories.  And Clarence was no exception.  He had a story for every occasion.

The Later Adult Years -  Age 31 to 64

In 1948 or so,  3 years after end of World War II, the coal mines were again laying off miners in the summer months. Then Clarence and Vida went to Idaho shearing sheep in the summer months. Clarence was 32 years old. This time Clarence took the whole family, and this included Lois, Jim,  and Lynn.  Clarence sheared sheep for Slug Krebs, as I recall.  One day Clarence sheared 198 sheep in a single day. That was a big day for any sheep shearer and that was a lot of work which would leave your hands sore and your arms aching.  On that same day Lloyd Wall,   Clarence's older brother beat Clarence by shearing 207 sheep.  Lloyd was also a very good sheep shearer, one of the very best.  One day LLoyd sheared 230 sheep in 8 hours.   Lloyd, Clarence and Lowell all sheared sheep for many years.  Clarence quit shearing sheep in about 1961 and he estimates that he has sheared about 100,000 sheep.  There are photos of Clarence and Vida on the shearing road under Activities.
 
One of the big events in those days was labor day.  The unions sponsored  a big party in Helper or Price park.  They had free pop and ice cream for the kids and many races.  I remember the tug of wars they had with ropes and a puddle of water in the middle.  The guys from Spring Canyon would challenge the men from another mine.  I never saw Spring Canyon lose when Clarence was on the rope, as he was as strong as any two guys.  Then he moved to Hiawatha and suddenly that team started to win.  Clarence would usually be one of the top performers in the coal shoveling contest.  He was strong and could shovel steady for a long time without tiring.

In 1961 Vida and Clarence, both then about age 45, moved to Hiawatha from their Cleveland farm.  Clarence had been appointed mine foreman and had to live in the mining town to be close to the mine.  There they met Bishop Harold Bingham.  They became best friends with the Bingham's.  They played cards and socialized together and attended church together.  They later squared danced with them and other couples in Hiawatha.  When Clarence left Spring Canyon,  he was making $750 per month on contract work, where he was paid by the tons of coal they produced.  He had to take a pay cut when he went to Hiawatha as he made only $500 per month.  However that was only a temporary setback, as Clarence got raise after raise and was promoted to mine foreman and again later to  General Underground Superintendent.  In 1961, Clarence was promoted to mine foreman and in 1979, at age 63, he became underground superintendent.  He worked in this position until he retired in 1981. 

 Clarence was 65 years old at retirement.  At his retirement, Clarence was one of the most knowledgeable miners in the entire world.  He had grown up in the mines and knew every aspect of mining.  In earlier years he was on several mine rescue teams and he was responsible for helping save many miners who were involved in accidents.  Clarence was trained in first aid and he used these skills in the mine and in his personal life.  Clarence was a miners miner.  There are photos of Clarence under Activities and Coal Mining.

Clarence was ordained an Elder in the LDS (Mormon) church, while they lived in Hiawatha.  Clarence and Vida were sealed in the Manti Temple on February 16, 1966.  Vida served as a Primary Teacher and as a counselor in the Relief Society Presidency while they lived in Hiawatha.  Upon moving to Cleveland, Clarence was ordained a High Priest and served as a counselor in the Bishopric.  They have been home & visiting teaching companions for many years.

During these years, from 1956 to the mid 1970's, Clarence and Vida fished often at Blackfoot Reservoir in Idaho, usually with the rest of the Wall family.  Clarence and Vida were both good fisherman and they had their own boat.  We spent many happy hours by the camp fire enjoying each other's company with all of the Wall family.  Clarence was a good story teller and he always had a funny story to tell about deer hunting, fishing, coal mining, farming, or during his days as a teenager or young adult,  He even managed to tell the "Vida tomato story" on more than one occasion.   Those were the good old days when all of us really appreciated Clarence and Vida and their family.  We all had boats and campers and life camping out was not as rugged as it was in the early days of hunting from tents in the Salina mountains.  And by that time all of us had had experienced many years of watching  how Clarence and Vida treated people.  We sort of took them for granted, and yet we all deeply appreciated them then as we still appreciate them today. Photos of those fishing trips can be seen on the web site under Activity Photos and then under Fishing.

Clarence  found a bunch of petrified dinosaur tracks in the Hiawatha mine in the 1960's.  He found them in the roof of the mine and pried them loose with a pick and loaded them on a coal train.  He gave them to many friends and relatives.  I have a small one he gave me in the mid 1960's.  He offered me a giant track and how I wished I would have taken it.  Clarence worked hard to get these heavy tracks out of the mine, but he would give them to anyone who expressed an interest.  That is the type of guy that Clarence was then and still is today. 

Clarence's word is good.  If Clarence tells you he will do something, he follows up. (Bob Wall comment:  I like that trait in a person and I have always tried to emulate Clarence and Vida in the way they always do what they say they will do.  They do not make idle promises that they do not intend to keep)

In 1981 Clarence, Corky Wall, Lloyd Wall and Bill and Bud Krebs went hunting in Alaska.  This was one of the highlights of Clarence's extracurricular activities. They rode horses into the Alaska bush country back to where Bob Krebs had homesteaded a cabin. Clarence and Lloyd were able to get a large moose and a caribou and were able to hunt with Bob Krebs and the others.  Bob Krebs unfortunately died a year or two later with melanoma cancer. There are photos of this hunting trip displayed on this web site (see Alaska Trip - 1981 under TRAVEL PHOTOS). Corky Wall made Clarence and Lloyd a nice photo presentation that commemorates this trip. It is now hanging on Clarence and Vida's basement wall.  I have used some of these photos on this web site.

Clarence and Vida later traveled to Hawaii, Spain, Canada, Morocco and to many other places.  They square danced for the governor of Granada.  In those days Clarence and Vida were great dancers and knew almost every square dance from memory.  Clarence was always a big man, but he could dance with the best of them.  And Vida was one of the best.  They could swing each other around the dance floor like a pair of twenty year olds.  See a photo of them square dancing under Activities Photos- Square Dancing.

Retirement Years -  Age 65-99

Clarence retired from the mines in 1981, with a good pension.  He earned every penny of this pension by spending 47 years underground in the mines.  Clarence was one of the most knowledgeable miners in the world.  He knew how to manage a crew, how to manage multiple crews, and how to manage an entire mine.  He was a leader of men and the men looked up to Clarence.  Clarence impressed Max Robb in his earlier years at Spring Canyon, and in his later years at Hiawatha.  Max knew that Clarence was a good leader of men and knew how to mine coal.  That explains why he promoted Clarence from one position to another in there many years in which they worked together. See mining photos under Activities-  Coal Mining for a picture of Clarence in his mining gear and operating mine equipment.

Clarence retired from Hiawatha as mine superintendent at the age of 65. He had spent 47 years working in the coal mines.  There was never a better mine foreman than Clarence Wall. He was smart, a hard worker, and was well liked by his supervisors and also by his men.  And that is remarkable in the days of strong unions.  Often times, union men dislike their mine foreman.

In October, l980, Clarence had open-heart surgery.  This was a very difficult surgery and the recuperation was painful and slow.  This surgery was needed because of reduced blood flow in his arteries.  On January 15 Clarence went back to work; he was 65 years old then.  He retired on January 15, l981.    Clarence has fared better than most who had this type of surgery as he has lived for over 22 years after the surgery and the average guy lives only 10 to 12 years after this surgery.

Clarence and Vida traveled a lot and performed square dancing around the world.

 They spent l4 years going to Quartzsite, Arizona.  During the 1980's and 1990's, Clarence & Vida often went to Quartzsite Arizona in the winter months and camped on the Arizona desert with his brothers and their wives and their many friends.  They spent many happy years in the desert and we have many photos of this time period displayed under Travel Photos, and then Quartzsite.  They had their 50th and 60 anniversary in Quartzsite after also celebrating it in  Cleveland with their family and friends.  Photos of these anniversaries are displayed in this web site under FAMILY PHOTOS, & then click on Anniversaries.  Many of their friends, who still go to Quartzsite,  ask about Clarence and Vida and still communicate with them by mail.  The often state that Clarence and Vida were two of the nicest people that they have ever met.  And the Wall family certainly knows this to be a true and accurate assessment when describing Clarence and Vida.

Clarence was introduced to "iron wood" in the Arizona desert.  He spent many hours finding iron wood trees that would make suitable clocks, belts, mountain sheep, and other things.  Clarence became an expert craftsman and made many beautiful clocks and various animal carvings.  Just making one clock, requires many hours of painstaking work.  It  takes 15 to 20 minutes to make one saw cut of 6 inches or so. And despite the difficulties encountered, Clarence made dozens of clocks for his kids, and grand kids and friends.  I can only hope his grandchildren and great grand children appreciate both Clarence and Vida and keep those clocks forever to help celebrate the memory of a  great person and a very good grand father.  When Clarence's shop in Cleveland burned down a year or so ago, Jimmy helped rebuild and rewire it and Margaret Wall gave Clarence a lot of ironwood that Lloyd had accumulated over the years.  This was very nice of Margaret and Clarence really appreciated that generosity. Clarence now has arthritis, but he still finds time to work on Iron Wood.  He is still a very effective and productive worker. 

 In 1995, Vida and Clarence, Lloyd & Margaret, Jewell Wall and my Uncle Tommy Beall & his wife Gladys came to my place in Soldotna, Alaska. Uncle Lowell &  Aunt Francis and Evan Wall were invited, but could not make it.  We all stayed in my home, ate together and it was just like old times.  All of us had a good time and we gave them a tour of  the entire Kenai Peninsula.  We went to south to Homer and saw them bring in the boats full of Halibut.  Homer is the Halibut fishing capital of the world.  We also took a boat to Seldovia, a Russian Village, located in Alaska.  It was the site of old  Russian fur traders. We then went north east from Soldotna to Seward and saw the 200 Ft. High Exit Glacier.  You can walk up to this glacier and we did.  We then went to the town harbor of Seward and  toured Resurrection Bay in a cruise boat and saw many remote islands and much sea life.  There are some nice photos of this trip on the  web site (See TRAVEL - Alaska 1996).  We all had a great time showing them around the Kenai Peninsula. We had time in Alaska  to hear Clarence and Lloyd retell some of our favorite stories that many of us had heard over the years.  But they were such good story tellers, that we enjoyed the stories much more than when we first heard them. Photos taken on this 1995 Alaska trip are found under Travel  Photos - Alaska 1995.

Clarence is still a very optimistic person who is always glad to see you.  He makes you feel good as he always complements those in his presence whether they are his kids, grand kids,  great grand kids, other relatives.  And when you arrive at his home for a visit,  he will always ask you to stay for dinner.  We all hope that Clarence & Vida will be here for many more years to come.  When they are gone, this  world will seem to be  different place.  And we will all miss them.  But for now we are all glad to be able to visit with them and re-hash old memories. 

            Be sure and read the tributes from Clarence & Vida's kids (Jim, Lynn, David, Wilma and Lois), and tributes from some of the grand and great grand kids, other family members and friends of Clarence and Vida.  Each of these tributes make a unique contribution to our memory of Clarence and Vida.  Clarence and Vida's  kids  give their own perspective of their memories of being raised by  Clarence and Vida.  And as with most kids, they learned to appreciate their parents even more after they have raised some kids of their own.  I believe that virtually everyone that knows Clarence and Vida regards them as being truly terrific people.  I  know that I do and I have known them for over 60 years.  I can't imagine anyone having a better uncle and aunt  than my Aunt Vida and my Uncle Clarence.    I feel very fortunate to have known them for these many years.  May God Bless bless them both.  And may both Clarence and Vida have many happy years as the Wall Family needs them both.

by Robert M. Wall - June 2002

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