Genealogy of Clifford Leroy GRAHAM * 14 Apr 1902

Clifford Leroy GRAHAM (*14 Apr 1902 +30 Jul 1972)

BIRTH: 14 Apr 1902, Union, Salt Lake, UT, USA [13669]
DEATH: 30 Jul 1972, Murray, Salt Lake, UT, USA [13670]
BURIAL: 3 Aug 1972, Murray City Cemetery, Murray, Salt Lake, Utah, USA [13671]
REFERENCE: 5X8P-71

MARRIAGE: 7 Jul 1924, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah, USA [55517]

Children

+Robert LeRoy GRAHAM (Private)
Merrill L GRAHAM (*6 Oct 1926 +21 Nov 1926)
+Blanch GRAHAM (Private)
+Clifford Merlin GRAHAM (Private)
+Aleene Mae GRAHAM (Private)
+Carma Grace GRAHAM (*21 Aug 1937 +27 Sep 2004)

[13672] [Clifford LeRoy Graham was born on 14 April 1902 in Union, Salt Lake County, Utah to Hyrum Henry Graham and Mary Margaret Doty. He was the sixth of seven children born to Hyrum Henry Graham and Mary Margaret Doty. Clifford had two brothers, Shirley Hyrum and Floyd Eugene. Clifford also had four sisters; Mary Alice, Verda Hannah, Gertrude Ellener and Ella Elizabeth. They lived in a small home located at about 1700 East and 7300 South in Union.

When he was 16 years old, he ran away from home. He bummed around catching freight trains for a while.

He eventually returned home and married Arvil May Labrum, daughter of William Arthur Labrum and May Bell Reynolds on 7 July, 1924. Arvil was born on 21 January, 1904 in Vernal, Utah. Their first born child was their son Robert, then daughter Blanch was born. Clifford, Arvil and the children moved to San Pedro, California for a while then returned to Utah. Clifford's mother and father divided up their farm property and gave two acres to each of their sons, Shirley, Floyd, and Clifford. Each of them built their homes on their land. Shirley and Floyd eventually sold their homes but Clifford stayed on his ground. Clifford and Arvil stayed in Hyrum and Mary's home while Clifford built his home on his ground. They then had four more children, Clifford Merlin (Jim), Aleen, Merrill and Grace. Merrill died as an infant of pheumonia. All of the children were raised there in the house that Clifford built on his land.

Clifford worked as a truck driver through the depression. He worked for a company, Nye and Nessan, which sold feed to chicken farmers and bought their eggs. He delivered the feed and picked up the cases of eggs. He'd leave in the morning with a truck load of feed and arrive back at the depot, in Murray, that evening, with a truck load of eggs. He made about eighty dollars a month. He worked his farm ground and some ground at another place, which he rented, at night.

Clifford had a serious heart attack when he was only 45 years old. He couldn't do that hard work anymore so he went to work as a power plant operator. He worked in a small generating plant, owned by Murray City, at the mouth of big cottonwood canyon. He worked at the power plant until he retired.

As he got older he suffered several more heart attacks. He had to give up most of his farm but retained an apple orchard behind his home. He worked on the yard and orchard and kept them in top form. He raised mink on the orchard grounds and did work for the church.

Eventually, Clifford's health declined so he and Arvil moved to a mobile home at White Manor Mobile Park in Midvale, Utah. On 30 July, 1972 Clifford had a heart attack and died at home. He was buried in the Murray City Cemetary. His beloved wife Arvil died of cancer on 25 April, 1980 in Salt Lake City. She is buried next to her husband. Their children get together every memorial day to decorate the grave site, and to share fond memories of their loving parents.