Isaac Ray Gudmundsen

Isaac Ray – Ray - Gudmundsen was the first child of Isaac Gudmundsen and Fanny Mulliner, his father being the second son of Marie Jacobsen and Gudmund Gudmundsen. While Ray was born in Lehi, as were the next two children, the family migrated to Iona, Idaho where the remaining children were born. In time the family grew and spread out and the parents moved to Burley, building the Gudmundsen Department Store.

Iona was the homestead of Mary Ann Richardson Mulliner, Fanny’s mother. I am not sure why that area was selected, but is in great farming country and may have been part of the Samuel Mulliner industries. He had developed tanneries and mills in Utah County as well.

Ray would have grown up in these places and times of independent ventures. Individually he tried to make a go of farming himself but over the span of his life proved to be the sales and public relations type more than farmer.

Daughter Shirley Rei Gudmundsen reports in a piece written for her mother’s family history that following an LDS mission to the Auckland area of New Zealand, Ray returned to school with the idea that he would study law. He did find in school, an English teacher!  He and new bride Marian Adams Gudmundsen went to Washington, DC to further their educations at George Washington University. I do not have a record of Ray’s completing university, though Marian did get her M.A.

The Gudmundsens in Idaho were empire builders – not Gudmundsen Empire, but Idaho Empire. The Gudmundsen department store was associated with Zion’s Cooperative Mercantile Institution, at least philosophically: everything a pioneering home would need, produced if possible by the pioneer effort and industry. Isaac, Ray, and Irel were active in community affairs. Ray was elected Cassia County Auditor/Recorder, served on the local draft board during WWI and also represented Utah Woolen Mills in Idaho and later in California. He attempted to farm all along as well until a farming venture finally collapsed in the 1920 Idaho depression.

It might have been at this time that Ray became affiliated with Utah Wool growing, as his father-in-law had been successful with Ramboullet wool markets in southern Utah. At any rate, by the time of WWII military registration and draft programs Ray was living in Eureka, California, employed by Utah Woolen Mills. The California Death certificate states that he was so employed for 30 years.

Long term health issues had debilitated Ray's wife so that she needed home care and eventually institutional care before her death in Southern California in 1931. Ray lived until 30 Nov 1962, succumbing to cancer in his lungs and colon. They are interred in the Rosehill Memorial Park, Whittier, California. They were parents to three: Shirley Rei, Mark and Vance. 

Abel Gudmund Gudmundsen

Abel Gudmund Gudmundsen was the eldest child of Abraham Gudmundsen. His mother was Sarah Jane Evans, who died shortly after giving birth to her third child, Mary Jane, in 1888. Abel was not quite three years old. Between Abel and Mary Jane was a brother, Isaac, born 1887 and deceased 1889.

Abel's birthday is 23 November 1885, and he was born in Lehi, Utah where his father had numerous business ventures. Work I find for Abel are Assistant Chief Sampler at Utah Copper Company in Magna and Accountant, listed on his death certificate. He served the Federal Government through the Internal Revinue Service, according to the US Federal Census of 1930 and 1940.

Abel's father Abraham married again in 1895, to Letitia Austin and this marriage brought five additional siblings.

Abel married first at age 21, on March 13, 1907, Mary Jane Wall. After divorcing, his second marriage was to Florence Springer. There were nine children from these marriages, the ninth by Florence. The eldest, Alta Celia preceded Abel in death.

Abel's death came in Lehi on September 9, 1946 after suffering from angina pectoris. He is buried in Mt Olivet Cemetery in Salt Lake City. (A note that points out this writer's connections in Lehi, the mortician who served Abel in the end was Millen Kirkham, a cousin on another line.)

Erma Garff, daughter of Louis and Amelia

Erma Rosena Garff, the first child of Louis and Amelia Bromley Garff; was the eldest of five, all be born in Lehi.

Erma’s father was an entrepreneur, developing several businesses in Utah County; surely Erma, her two sisters and two brothers were introduced to this world of business from an early age.

Erma’s husband, James LeRoy Cook, was listed as a General Sales Manager at Kinney Coal Co in Midvale, Utah. His death came about in 1924. They had married in Salt Lake City on November 23, 1909. Their first child was born in December of 1910.

I have not located an obituary for Erma, whom I believe passed away in Forest Grove, Oregon. Her husband’s death left her to raise their children, Sherman LeRoy Cook and Wilma Cook, on her own and in the 1940 Census we find her in California with her daughter and granddaughter, employed in sales with a pastry company.

Erma’s death occurred on August 15, 1977 (I also have an alternate date of 1975, so verification is in order). Erma was survived by Sherman and Vivian Yates Cook, Wilma McLean, and three grandchildren. Both her children have since passed away.

Carl Christian Garff

As the Garff and Gudmundsen brothers went on to begin their own families they also sought out the best place for their skills and needs. Christian Nielsen Garff moved northward, and as has been noted took an active part in building the infrastructure of some of the northern Utah cities. His eldest,  son Carl Christian Garff did likewise.

Born in  Logan April 18, 1875, Carl lived in that area for his first fifteen years, then locating to Ogden where the family lived with the maternal grandparents, Otto and Martha Hanson. The family by this time included Carl's three sisters Hedvig, Sylvia and Alva. Mother Augusta would die in 1898 in Ogden.

Carl and his father traveled around Utah with their carpentry, construction, and electrical work. Christian would marry again and have another daughter, Vera born  in Provo.

On November 26, 1907 Carl married Juliana Amelia Nielsen, who had been born in Huntsville in Ogden Valley. Their marriage took place in the Logan LDS Temple.

A building contractor Carl served Ogden as Building Inspector. As a cabinet maker and carpenter throughout his life, he managed the supervised the Isakson Mill and Fixture company for a time.

Carl and Millie had one daughter, Katherine.

Carl died at 75 in 1950 of cancer. Millie followed him a decade later in 1960. They rest in the Lindquist Washington Heights Memorial Park in Ogden.

Continuing Our History of the Third Generation

I am surprised by the length of time since my last post. I knew it had been a while, though three years is quite a pause. Due to a recent request for more stories I feel encouraged to 'get back to it'.
A few changes have made a difference in my perception of my family history, none the least losing close members of the generation immediately preceding my own: my father, Jim Kirkham in January of 2014, and his brother Thad Kirkham in October of 2012.
Their mother, Sylvia Gudmundsen is of the third generation, or Marie Jacobsen's grandchildren, and while much of what I know has been through record research and not personal stories it still seemed to knock the wind out of me to lose these links.
Should it have? Or should it have heightened the wind moving me onward, reminding me that this history is all the more important to me (and, I hope, to us)?
Here is what I propose to do for the third generation (subject to my human frailties and disorganization skills): having reported on George Peter Garff, who was the first child of a Second Generation Son, I will will next portray the first child of the next Second Gen, and then the first child of the next and so on. There were five sons who had children, with thirty-nine children born in the Third Generation. My grandmother was the second to last child of the fifth son and I fear I would never get to her if I took this generation in birth sequence!
With a plan now, I will commence soon with Carl Christian Garff, Erma Rosena Garff, Abel Gudmund Gudmundsen and Isaac Ray Gudmundsen.
I return to this project with my apologies to you all for the delay; I wish you continued success in your lives as you each unfold our story for future generations. And recommit myself to my credo that a correct record is the best record, so please feel free to give input and feedback as needed (and I will try not to be too needy!).