Owen Ford Reynolds (1904 - 2003)
Owen Ford Reynolds was born on 5 November 1904 in South Cottonwood, Salt Lake, Utah, USA, and died on 7 April 2003 in Littleton, Jefferson, Colorado, USA. He is the son of Charles Robert Reynolds and Louise Park Brockbank. He married Vernessa Young on 24 Aug 1928 in the Salt Lake Temple, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah, USA. She was born on 19 November 1905 in Colonia Pacheco, Chihuahua, Mexico, and died on 2 June 1984 in Murray, Salt Lake, Utah, USA. She is the daughter of Newel Knight Young and Castina Maria Buchanan.
Alma Chapter 37, Verse 37 Counsel with the Lord in all thy doings, and he will direct thee for good; yea, when thou liest down at night lie down unto the Lord, that he may watch over you in your sleep; and when thou risest in the morning let thy heart be full of thanks unto God; and if ye do these things, ye shall be lifted up at the last day. This was dad's favorite scripture. He not only "talked the talk" but he "walked the talk" when it came to this prophetic utterance. So close did he live it every day of his life that it kept him alive into his 99th year. As dementia robbed him of his memory of even the names of his closest family members who lived with him every hour of the last four years of his life, yet he did not forget the name of the Lord. When his body would no longer sustain its normal functions, his mind appealed to the Lord to help him stay alive one more day. When it became obvious that it was time for him to return to his Creator, and he desperatly wanted to do so, the family had to kindly suggest that perhaps it was time to cease his frequent appeals to stay so that he could go be "lifted up at the last day." And thus it was... |
Timeline...
Courting Days...
A few words about Owen's love for his parent's family...
Dad's family was "one of a kind." Each of the nine children loved and cherished their parents, and they doted on each other. They worked together; a couple of them even formed a successful company they named "Reynolds Brothers;" they fished and hunted together, they took trips together, they worshiped together, and they stayed together.
See his father's page. Dad was the last of the nine children of Charles Robert and Louise Reynolds to die. He lived with me each day of his last four years. If he was awake he would "jump high fences" to be where he could see me. One day as I contemplated his death and memorial sevice I asked him if he wanted me to speak at his funeral. He answered, "No, I want Jimmy Faust to speak at my funeral." Well! -- and this is a true story without an ounce of exageration --Two days after Dad passed away I was sitting at home in Littleton, Colorado again contemplating his funeral and of course I knew that the Jimmy Faust thing was out of the question as he was serving in the First Presidency of the Church. It was the ninth of April, 2003 at 10:45 A.M. when the telephone rang. When I answered, the female voice on the other end said, "Will you speak to President Faust?" After gulping real hard I heard President Faust's voice say that he had read dad’s obituary in the paper and wanted to express his gratitude and love for an old friend. President Faust said, “Thank you so much for the service you have rendered to my old friend.” He said he and dad had served together in the old South Cottonwood Stake and had been friends ever since. He asked that I say some words at the funeral and express publicly his love and appreciation for dad. He said, "to your dad I am “Jimmy.” He also offered kind words about my mother and we talked a little about the Reynolds family. He said, "Your Reynolds family was not a family it was a tribe." He asked about how dad had spent the last four years. I told him that while he had progressed to a point over time where he couldn’t remember those around him and didn’t really know where he was, he never lost the ability to say I love you and to pray in the name of Jesus Christ, "our beloved Savior Whom we dearly love." Of course, I spoke at Dad's funeral service and related this story. I marvel at it still! My father, Owen loved his children and grandchildren, but he loved his brothers and sisters more than any man I have ever known. When I was a little boy he would take me to visit his parents every Friday evening. Some of his brothers and sisters would show up too. Those happy times spent in my grandparent's large kitchen around the old coal stove, listening to his family tell stories and laugh together, made lasting memories. |
This April 1, 1926 photo was taken on the day of Owen's missionary farewell to the Central States. From left: nephew Grant Arthur Mackay, my mother, Vernessa Young, nephew Shirley Reynolds who would grow up to also serve a mission to the Central States, Owen, Grandma Louise, and sister Lila May. Nephew Grant Arthur Mackay died in his 17th year in a tragic hay rack accident.
Photo taken March 21, 1926 about the time Owen received his call to serve a mission to the Central States. In the photo from left is the young family of Owen's sister Merle including husband Arthur Joshua Mackay, son Grant, daughter Louise and son Clayton. Owen is center; behind him to his right is his sister Lila, and behind his left shoulder is his intended, my mother, Vernessa Young. Grandpa Charley and Grandma Louise are at front to Owen's left.
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