Elwood Leslie Proctor

Elwood Leslie Proctor

1904-1955

     Elwood Leslie Proctor was born to George Kidd and Annie (Ludlow) Proctor 8 January 1904, in Benjamin, Utah.

Elwood Leslie Proctor

     He lived in Aberdeen, Idaho and then moved with his family to Tooele, Utah where he spent the remainder of his days.  He was a miner and a fireman.  Friends and family all called him Woody.

     He married Jennie Vera Searle on 18 August 1924 in Salt Lake City, Utah. 

     To this union three children were born: DaLane, George Lyman, and Sue. 

Jennie and DaLane

     Woody died 24 December 1955 of silicosis a condition caused by inhaling too much silica over a long period of time.  Silica is found in sand and rocks such as granite.  His death was undoubtedly caused from working in the mines for so long.

     Aunt Jennie was born 29 August 1906 in Midvale, Utah, to Asa Lyman and Ursula Catherine (Snyder) Searle.  She passed away 8 November 1988 in Boise, Idaho.  Both Uncle Woody and Aunt Jennie are buried in the Tooele City Cemetery in Tooele, Utah.

Elwood Leslie Proctor

Jennie Vera Searle Proctor

     My Uncle Walt Formo wrote a tribute to Uncle Woody that follows:

     "Woody bought a beautiful brick home on East Street in Tooele, Utah.  Since his front lawn was higher than his neighbors, he built a rock retaining wall, with the aid of Al Peterson, that is beautiful.  Alongside of it, he planted the most beautiful rose bushes which are still there.  In back he had a lovely patio and fish pond with lots of flowering shrubs and roses.  He called his back yard 'a little bit of heaven.'  Dowstairs he had his den where he kept his sporting equipment and had his office.  He bought his daughter, DaLane (Doug), a baby grand piano and she became very skilled in music.  Later his younger daughter, Sue, also studied music.  He loved his family dearly and was very close to them.  His only son, George Lyman Proctor was born in 1931 but passed away shortly after birth.  My son Bill says Elwood used to pick him up and drive down to Hank and Evans Confectionary and let him buy penny candy and then take him back home.  I often visit his resting place and all the families'.  To me he was a beautiful person who I feel honored to have known and worked with.  Yes to me he was a legion."

Elwood Leslie Proctor

Elwood Leslie Proctor (They had photo bombers then too)

Dan and Inez (Proctor0 Whitehouse, Jennie (Searle) Proctor, Dorothy (Blackstone) Proctor, DaLane and Sue Proctor

Mom Share Your Life with Me - December 27

Question:  Do you remember celebrating any special wedding anniversaries of your parents or grandparents?

Answer: Lois, and I went to Tooele, Utah, on a bus from Rigby, Idaho to help celebrate the parents who raised me, George and Annie Proctor-Dad and Mom- 50th wedding anniversary at their home in Tooele, Utah.

Front Row:  Barry Formo, Lois Cook, Bruce Proctor, Ted Whitehouse, Danalyn Whitehouse, Rozella Proctor, LeAnne Formo, Judy Proctor, Sue Proctor

Middle Row:  Patricia Proctor, Dorothy Proctor, George K. Proctor, Annie L. Proctor, Shirley Fay Brough holding Dennie Brough, Jack Brough, Shelby Formo, Inez Whitehouse, Jennie S. Proctor, Elwood Proctor.

Back Row:  Max K. Proctor, Donald K. Proctor, Ethel P. Formo, Walter Formo, Ruth P Cook, Dan Whitehouse.

Mom Share Your Life with Me - December 9

Question:  What did you like to look at in the Five and Dime Stores.

Answer:  We could look but not touch.  Inez and I would look at everything and wish that she and I had the money to buy.  But we didn't so it was kind of fun to look and talk about it when we got home what each one of us saw.  Sometimes we could buy one thing.

Mother (Ruth Elizabeth Proctor) holding Inez Proctor

Autobiography of Rozella Proctor-Part Three

Rozella Proctor

1 June 1909-12 December 1955

Chapter Four

In the Hospital

    When I was on a bed, Papa called a doctor.  The doctor examined me, but could hardly tell what the trouble was.  He came twice that day, then said my back was hurt, and I would have to be operated on.  But he said he would not perform the operation, and if he was papa he would take me to a back specialist.

     All day Monday Mama and my Aunt sewed getting me ready to go to the hospital at Salt Lake City, Utah.

Max, Ruth, Ethel and Rozella

     That night I left.  I had to be taken on a stretcher, so Daddy and the doctor took me in the baggage car.  At eight o’clock on Tuesday we were in Salt Lake City, where an ambulance was waiting to take me to the hospital. 

Rozella and Ruth

     Right after I got there the specialist examined me.  I could not feel a thing from my waist down.  They took an x-ray and found there were two clots of blood on the spinal cord.

Rozella in Yellowstone Park

     A little after one o’clock I was given some ether, and I never knew anymore till I felt the doctor pushing something in my arm that hurt.  Then he asked me if it hurt.  Later I found out they had injected something in my arm to keep me alive.

Grandpa and Grandma Proctor, Ethel, Inez, Rozella and Ruth in Wapello, Idaho

     I was in a private room for about two weeks.  The nurses were very good to me.  The doctors (I had five) were too, although I did not think at the time, the one that took the stitches out of my back was.

     After two weeks, I was moved to a ward and there I had a good time also.

Home in Wapello, Idaho

     Papa just stayed a week then went back, and Mama came.  On the Fourth of July all my folks came down, and although I still had to lie flat on my back I surely had a good time.  Every body was very good to me.

     I was in the hospital a little over two months, although I hated to leave all my new friends, I was very glad to get home.  

Ruth, Ethel, Inez and Rozella

Chapter Five

Later Years

     I did not send my lessons into the teacher that year.  The next year we moved to Bancroft, Idaho, and I sent my lessons in.  Just before school let out we had to move to Blackfoot again.  The teacher said to go to the next grade.  The next year I only sent my lessons in for half a year.  I thought it would be easier for Ethel and also myself if I waited till Ethel caught up with me then we would both have the same teacher.

Max, Rozella, and Ethel

     I have sent my lessons in to the teacher ever since then.  We lived in Aberdeen the last two years, and last Year I graduated from eighth grade.  Ethel couldn’t go to school the last day to get our diplomas as we were leaving Aberdeen, to be on our way to Montana.  So Mrs. Arms, our teacher, said she would send them to us, and sure enough, when we stopped in front of the Fifth Avenue Hotel the day we arrived in Malta, Montana, Daddy went in, and a few minutes came out and handed our diplomas to us.

In back: Grandma, Ethel,

Front:  Inez, Ruth, Rozella, Max and Grandpa

Home in Malta

     On September the eighth 1925 school started in Malta.  I did not start sending my lessons in for about two weeks.  I was rather uncertain whether to start high school or not I didn’t think I could on account of having three teachers, but a last I decided I had better learn while I had a chance.  The school was short on books for awhile, but now I have all of the books except for Algebra, but I am getting along pretty well.

Front: Rozella, Max, Ethel

Back: Inez and Ruth

     I don’t think the schools in Malta are nearly so good as they are in Idaho and Utah, and I surely wish I was back in Idaho.

Rozella

     I have always wanted to be a stenographer, but I could not take typewriting here, and I am rather disappointed.  

Rozella and Max

Rozella, Grandma and Grandpa and Dorothy

Rozella with Grandpa and Grandma

     I am sorry to say that this is all the Aunt Rozella wrote in her Life Story Booklet.  I wish that she would have included more about her life.  She truly was a remarkable lady with a remarkable attitude.  It will be great to meet her some day and see her walk, run and dance.  We miss you, Aunt Rozella but will see you again some day.

Mom Share Your Life with Me - August 1

Question:  If you were to return to your youth, what would you do differently?

Answer:  Nothing

George Kidd, Annie Ludlow, Ethel, Ruth, Rozella and Inez Proctor

Mom Share Your Life with Me - June 26

Question:  Describe a few of the favorite hair styles of your youth.

Answer:  We had bangs and our hair was cut straight.  I got my first perm when I went to visit my sister Annie in Spanish Fork, Utah.

Ruth is standing up in the swing and her sister Inez is seated on the right.