Marshall &Kay Family  Histories

B. Vaughn Marshall

BIRTH

Vaughn was born prematurely on the 17th of March 1930 at Castlegate, Utah. His mother, Irene Jones Marshall, describes him as being blue and very small. He wasn’t expected to live. He was born at home with the town doctor in attendance. His mother said that she wrapped him up warmly and kept him right next to her night and day. She gave him warmth and nourishment and felt that, that was the only reason he lived. He was the third child born to Irene Jones and William Marshall. The oldest child was a girl named Elaine; the second was a boy named Leone. His father, Bill, worked in the coal mines in that area, the same mines where Bill’s own father, John W. Marshall was killed. Mine work wasn’t safe but it was the only work to be had. These were depression times and a man was lucky to have a job of any kind.

Vaughn’s mother (Irene Jones Marshall) writes in her journal that the year he was born was an especially bad depression year. The work in the mines slowed down and after the company took the rent out of Bill’s paycheck there was barely enough left to feed the family. When he was about 2 years old his parents shared a sobering experience that illustrates how difficult the times were. Bill talked about a dream he had for three nights in a row. His deceased father had come to him and said, “Son I need you.” After discussing it for a while Irene felt strongly that Bill’s mother and the children at home might be in need. It was Sunday but they persuaded the grocer to open the store. They stocked up on food and took it to the mining town where Bill’s mother (Martha Ellen Cox) was living. The family didn’t have any food in the house or means to buy food at that time. Vaughn’s grandmother (Martha Ellen Cox) was so grateful.

(Yvonne's Special Note)

As I relate this story I think it is so important to recognize the family that Vaughn was born into. There are so many good people in his ancestry and they are all a part of who he is. Heavenly Father made sure that he was born to good people. As I tell his story it will be clear that his parents overcame many difficult things in their lives in order to raise their children in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Following is a very short history of Vaughn’s ancestry starting with his mother’s family (Jones) and then continuing on to his father’s family (Marshall's).

The Family

Vaughn's Mother- Irene Jones Marshall, her parents were Elisha Allen Jones, born in 1876 in Woodland, Utah and Janett Shiner, born 1877 in Salt Lake City. Elisha was the oldest of nine children. His parents settled eventually in the small mining town of Castledale, Utah. He was a brick maker and farmer. His brothers and sisters were all musical and the family entertained the area populace by playing for dances and various other things. A photograph of him as a young man bears a resemblance to Vaughn. Elisha’s father, Elisha Allen Jones Sr., (1852) was a convert to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. He came west from Lincolnville, Main as a young man with his brother Silas, who continued on to California. While in Summit County Utah, he met and married Eliza Catherine Thayn, and joined the church shortly after. Catherine Thayn’s parents emigrated from Iowa to Salt Lake, after becoming early converts to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints also. The Thayn family came originally from the Glasgow area of Scotland in the 1830’s to settle in Iowa. Janett Shiner, Irene’s mother, was a daughter of converts also. Irene’s grandfather, George William Shiner, was a soldier in the Iowa Infantry in the Union Army. He was a farmer for a number of years and planned to go west. At the suggestion of his wife’s uncle he investigated the “Mormons”. He and his wife, Janett Lefler, then moved their family to Utah where he bought an interest in a sawmill in Creek Canyon. The original immigrant ancestor was a George Shiner born about 1745 in Germany. He settled in the Virginia area and fought in the Revolutionary War. The Lefler family were prominent citizens in the Iowa area and helped to establish it.

Vaughn's Father Bill (William) Elias Marshall, his parents were John W Marshall, born in 1881 in Orderville, Utah and Martha Ellen Cox, born in 1883 in Huntington, Utah. Shortly after Bill’s grandparents, William Marshall III and Martha P. Allen were married, they were invited to participate in living The United Order. While living in Orderville William became skilled in many trades. Their second son, John W. and his nine brothers and sisters, lived in very difficult circumstances while helping their parents establish a home in the primitive town of Huntington, Utah. Due to his father’s and uncle Andrew Allen’s efforts, irrigation water was directed into the little town so that it could develop and grow. Bill’s great-grandparents, William Marshall II and Francis Bridger, were converts and emigrated from England to Australia and then to San Bernardino. From there the family went on to Parowan and began to establish the Marshall family in Utah. Martha Ellen Cox, Bill’s mother, was the oldest of nine children. Her mother, Ellen Viola Sherman, had a ‘heart condition’ and was in poor health most of the time. Martha Ellen quit school early so that she could help take care of the younger children. Martha’s father, (Bill’s grandfather), was Elias Henderson Cox born 1856 in Union Fort, Utah. Elias Henderson Cox’s mother, Martha Richards, died when he was just four years old. His own father, Elias Cox, was on the road a lot helping the arriving pioneers to get settled in Utah so Elias’ upbringing fell to his grandparents, Jehu Cox and Sarah Pyle. Jehu Cox and Sarah Pyle were the original pioneers and converts to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Both of their families had been early immigrants to America. Their ancestry is traced to the earliest New England colonies, the Mayflower and to Miles Standish. Bill’s grandmother, Ellen Viola Sherman, was a daughter of Alby Lyman Sherman and granddaughter of Lyman Royal Sherman. Lyman Royal was the same Sherman who had been designated to be called as an apostle in the early church but died suddenly at age 35 in Far West before this could take place. His wife, Delcena Didamia Johnson, a Mormon pioneer, later brought her family to Salt Lake. Her son, Alby Lyman Sherman, (Bill’s great-grandfather) married Mary Elvira Swan as the families were on their way west. They were married on the North Platte River. The Swan family were converts coming from Scotland. The Johnsons were early settlers in America and fought in the Revolutionary War. They were among the early converts in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

The above is of necessity a very brief glance at Vaughn’s ancestry. As I looked up information to write about them I was impressed with the feeling that all these people were good people trying hard to live good lives. They all dealt with many hardships but they endured. In the process they left a wonderful posterity who can be very thankful that their ancestors were willing to undergo the things they did in order to leave their posterity with so many opportunities.

Leone 

The next thing I recall hearing about Vaughn’s life, concerns his older brother Leone. He was six and a half years old when he died. I heard this story many times from Vaughn’s mother. It was probably one of the most painful things that she had to endure. Vaughn and Leone were playing outside while his mother was visiting a friend. Vaughn said that he has no memory of any this time at all. He was only four years old. Irene has told me that Leone was always careful about running out in the street so she was not uncomfortable about his playing ‘out front’. I think there was a firecracker involved somehow and he ran out in the street. It was a hill and the woman coming over the hill in a car didn’t see him quickly enough to prevent hitting him. He was killed instantly. Irene often said that she was blessed at that time to be able to tell the woman that she did not hold her responsible for Leone’s death. She said the woman was very distraught about the accident. Irene also has related that she was comforted in knowing that it was Leone’s time to return to his Heavenly Father. There is a more detailed account in her history. Irene Jones History

About this time period while still living in Utah, Elaine(Vaughn’s sister) writes; “ During the years we were growing up, but still children in Utah, I remember well how mother instructed me to hold on to Vaughn’s hand as we went down the hill and into town to church. I do not recall either Mom or Dad accompanying us to church but she did see that we attended. We were, ‘polished’ and tidied and sent on our way. He was such a cute, pleasant little brother.” This would have been during his fourth and fifth years.

Irene often told another story about Vaughn when he was very young. I don’t remember his age but I think it happened while they were still living in Utah. He was playing with another little boy and Irene said she noticed it was very quiet, and she wondered what they were doing. She didn’t see them outside where she expected to and started looking all around. She was prompted to look under the house and sure enough, there they were. They had been very busy building a fire and were just about to light it. She felt that the Lord had blessed them so that she discovered the boys before anyone was hurt.

Irene and Bill were not very active in the church during these early-married years. When Bill was in his teens he had begun smoking. It was a very difficult habit to overcome and was a challenge to him for a number of years. He always had a reputation as a hard worker, and if there was work to be found he would find it. Throughout all his years he did work very hard to provide for his family. While he was working in the mines he saw many accidents. He told us about one mine accident that he could never forget. He was one of the volunteers who helped to bring the wounded and dead out of the collapsed mine. The experience was traumatic and a constant reminder that it could happen to him anytime. He’d had a few close calls with falling coal and one time he was injured and out of work for three weeks. He and Irene decided to leave the coal mines and go to California where he hoped to work in the oil fields. Bill had two aunts in California where they could stay while he found work.

The Move

This was a major move for the family. The country was just climbing out of the depression and jobs were still hard to find. They were taking a real chance but they felt strongly that staying in a small coal-mining town could not offer the future what they wanted for themselves or for their children. Vaughn was six years old when his family packed their car with everything that could possibly fit in it, plus their little dog Pat. So in November 1936 they arrived just outside Fellows, California and stayed with Bill’s aunt Mable Chappel, a sister to Bill’s mother (Martha Ellen Cox). The family stayed with her for a week and then decided to rent a small house (three room shack), in Fellows, CA. They borrowed some old furniture from Bill’s aunt and ‘ made do’. Elaine (Vaughn’s sister) writes that, “All of the houses in that area were close to each other. In one of the neighboring houses there was a man who played a violin when he got drunk. He did not play well so it was not pleasant to listen to.” The school was close enough so that Vaughn and Elaine were able to walk there. It was a very small school. Elaine was in the fifth grade and Vaughn was in the first grade. Vaughn had started first grade in Utah but his schooling primarily began at Midway school in the Kern County school district in Fellows, California. Vaughn’s report cards in these very early grades indicate that he was an outstanding student. He excelled in reading, math and music especially.

Before long the family was able to move to a little better house. This house had four rooms and a bathroom that the other house didn’t have. Elaine writes, “This house was in an area called ‘Rag Row’. A neighboring tract was called ‘Silk Row’. As you might expect, the houses in the latter were a little nicer than in the former. However, our house in ‘Rag Row’ was nice and we were happy there”. She mentions that she and Vaughn were probably sharing a bedroom at this time because she remembers as they were going to sleep they would dream and talk about owning bicycles. They dreamed about the freedom of movement they would have and where they would go. Within the year they both each had a bicycle. They were “in heaven”. Bill was working for an oil company at this time and they were able to buy this house for $400. However the land had to be leased because the oil company retained ownership of it.

About 1938 the family needed to move again when there was a “big layoff” by the oil company. They moved a few miles away to an area called “Derby Acres”. Something of great importance happened while they were living in this area. Bill was in a very serious car accident. Irene has often related how this experience seemed to be very meaningful to Bill. He was trapped and alone, expecting the car to catch fire any

moment. He felt ‘helped’ as he was able to crawl out and find his way home. Irene said that his activity in church greatly increased after the accident. Bill began to really enjoy his callings and activity in the Taft Branch. This all made it possible for Vaughn’s parents to be sealed to in the Temple, to each other and to their children. The family traveled to Salt Lake City and on June 14,1940 they were all sealed as an eternal family in the Salt Lake Temple.

That fall Bill got a job with an oil company again. They had a chance to live in a house on a small lease rent-free in exchange for doing work on the lease. There were only two houses on this lease and it was very far away from all their good friends in Fellows, California. Vaughn and Elaine had to take the bus to school now. Elaine says that they were both so glad to have their bikes especially now. They were able to ride them to see their friends. All the other house leases were far away and it was very hot riding their bikes in that barren desert. Vaughn was 10 years old and in the 5th grade by now. His report cards show the he continued to be an excellent student.

Cornet/Trumpet

I’m not sure exactly when he started playing the trumpet. I thought I remember him telling me that he played it a little in his music classes in school. His mother mentions that he was taking private lessons by 1940. She called the instrument he was playing a cornet. I remember Vaughn telling me that he started learning to play on one type of horn and then changed to the horn that I now have in his case sitting in the closet. When we were first married he used to play it. He showed me how he would’ triple tongue’ and he was really good at it. He got such a beautiful sound out of that horn. Sometimes it was frustrating because the trumpet needed work on it and would stick in the middle of a song. He was in college and I was working and it seemed we never had quite enough money to fix it. So as those things go, time went on and it never did get fixed. Vaughn always referred to his horn as a trumpet but he explained to me that it wasn’t a’ true trumpet’. Among Vaughn’s papers I found a report that had been given to his parents. It was a report on the results of a musical aptitude test given to him in the sixth grade. Many areas of musical ability were tested such as pitch, time, rhythm, etc and numbers assigned to them. His final score was 400. The highest score possible on this paper was 507 and the average school score was 219. The school went up to the eighth grade and the highest eighth grade average was 240. In the field where a musical instrument was recommended there was a check mark for every instrument except the string bass. I think music was always an important part of his life. By the fifth grade he was playing in the school band and continued to do so throughout his school years. He told me that sometimes in high school he had hard choices to make between performing in the band at half time or playing football, because he was on the football team too.

Taft,California

In 1942 the family bought a house in Taft, Calif. They all seemed to enjoy living there, where they were much closer to schools, friends and church. It was during the time while they were living in Taft, Calif.,that the family invited the missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, to come to their home quite often for dinner and visiting. This was a blessing to the whole family but especially to Vaughn. He enjoyed the missionary Elders so much and looked up to them. At that age he was deeply impressed that he wanted to be like them and do what they were doing. He told me that his parents had always encouraged him to plan on a mission but being around the missionaries as a boy left a positive impression that stayed with him. In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints he was ordained to the Aaronic Priesthood and given the office of Deacon ion this year of 1942.

Elaine(Vaughn’s sister) describes how nice it was to live in a real town. She said, then they could walk to the swimming pool almost every day. (it was a very hot walk) She describes a scary experience that they had there. Vaughn couldn’t swim and was a little frightened of the water. She encouraged him to come into the deeper water but he panicked and grabbed hold of her, pushing her down. She said that she had to stay under water with Vaughn hanging on until she was able to get to an area where she could touch bottom. She said she came up gasping for air and Vaughn was shaking. After that she let him progress at his own speed.

While they were living in Taft, Calif. Vaughn’s dad bought a cow. Vaughn told me that his dad had intended to sell it for beef when it was large enough. Vaughn‘s job was to help care for it. His mother writes that the cow quickly became his pet. He became very attached to ‘Blackie’ and spent a lot of time sitting on the fence talking to her. He told me that she was a loving cow and they liked each other a lot. He said the whole family liked her so instead of selling her for beef they bred her and used her for a milk cow. She gave the best milk there was, and his mom made really good butter from it too.

Vaughn enjoyed sports a great deal; sports of every kind and he was good at them. I think football was his favorite. While attending school in Taft, Calif., the fall of 1942, he played on the Championship Seventh Grade Speedball Team, Seventh Grade Basketball Team and Seventh Grade Six Man Touch Football. The spring of 1943 he played on the Championship Seventh Grade Soft Ball Team and the Championship Junior Touch Football Team. That same spring, in track, he took First Place in the B Class 73 yd. 440 Relay, First Place in the 110 yd Commando Relay and First Place in The 40 yd. Dash. He was not very tall and sometimes felt that was a disadvantage, but it didn’t keep him from working hard at sports or doing well.

Vaughn always enjoyed reading. Among the special things he saved from school were some ‘Library Diplomas’. These were awarded to students for reading a certain number of books a year. He received one for every year he was living in the Kern County School District. Throughout all the years we were together he always enjoyed reading. One of his favorite things to buy was a book. He participated in his school Glee Club and played the part of ‘ Mr. Bones’ in a presentation about Stephen Foster. That same year, (1942), he was chosen to play in a’ trumpet trio’ in the graduation program for the graduating class.

In August of 1943 he enjoyed being able to go to camp. A Taft, Calif., newspaper article that he had saved mentions the names of a few boys that received a special neckerchief at the end of camp for “Good Camper 1943”. Vaughn’s name was among them. There was a Professor El Tab, a magician, who put on a special show for the boys while he was there. Vaughn must have been impressed by it because one of the things he had kept in a special box was a paper describing many of the ‘Professor’s’ tricks. The Professor had mailed it to Vaughn after he had returned home.

Often the family had been able to go back to visit their relatives in Utah in the summer. Vaughn enjoyed talking about some of his favorite aunts and uncles there. He said that he always liked visiting his aunt Reva and uncle June (Marshall). While Vaughn was on his mission he was saddened to hear that his uncle June was killed while working in his wood business. His aunt Lea was another favorite. On his mother’s side, he always enjoyed being with his aunt Fern and Aunt Nola’s families. Another favorite was his uncle John Marshall. Johnnie was his youngest uncle, just about the same age as his own sister, Elaine. Johnnie had been in WW II and gave Vaughn a Japanese flag that he’d brought back. Johnnie said that he did that because Vaughn was one of his most favorite nephews. Vaughn kept the flag in that special box of his where he kept many of his special things. 

   Palo Alto, California  

By the fall of 1943 the family had moved to Palo Alto, California and Vaughn attended Jordan Junior High for the eighth and ninth grades. Earlier in the summer the family had gone to Palo Alto to visit one of Bill’s sisters. They liked what they saw and wanted their children to be close to a good university. (Stanford). Bill had learned welding in night school and had done some machinist work so it was not difficult to find a job in a defense plant there. (These were still World War II times) When the war was over he was hired to work for the city of Palo Alto. There wasn’t a very active scout troupe in the Palo Alto ward (one of the locations for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints) at that time but Vaughn did get a chance to go on a big scout trip; hiking and overnights. He has a wonderful picture of himself all set to leave with a big backpack strapped on his back. The pack looked as big as he was. He earned a number of merit badges also.

          Vaughn played his horn (coronet) all through junior high and high school. He was in the orchestra and in the marching band in junior high and high school. In high school he earned both his music block letter and his football block letter, which of course he wore on his red and white school sweater. Vaughn expressed his disappointment though that the coach didn’t give him much of an opportunity to play in the games because of his height. He said that he was put in long enough to earn his block letter but that was all.  I found the Kennel Club registration papers for the beautiful Scotch Collie that Vaughn and Elaine had. Vaughn has a picture of himself and “Laddie”. He told me that he really loved that dog and enjoyed playing with him so much. It was so sad when he was hit by a car and injured so badly that he had to be put to sleep. Vaughn spoke of the heartbreak he felt at the time. He has a picture of his favorite black cat, ’Inky’, sitting on his shoulder too. She used to always follow him around everywhere.

          He had three very good friends throughout high school -- Jim Marshall, his cousin, Rex Brush and Jack Kelly. They were all members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and in the same ward. Of the three, Jack was probably his best friend. However, Jack’s family were not very supportive of his activity in the church, the atmosphere in his home was’nt good – there was drinking and so forth. It was difficult for Jack and he looked to Vaughn for the stability he wanted. Vaughn remained his good friend for many years until we all lost track of each other as our families grew.

          Elaine, remembers her brother as quite a “ romantic”. She remembers his taking a box of candy and flowers to give to his date. She thought it may have been his first date. I think one of the things that impressed me when we first met was that he never seemed to take me for granted. He always treated me kindly and I felt so comfortable with him.  While Vaughn was in high school he earned enough money to take flying lessons. He spent quite a few hours in the air but couldn’t afford to continue on to get his license. He had hoped that he would be able to later but never did find the time again.

He graduated from high school in June 1948 and was awarded the Silver Seal of Citizenship and Service. He had planned to go on a mission (for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints) and was trying to figure out how he could do that. Because at that time every healthy young man had “do time” in the service for two years.  Just before he graduated he learned that there was a program that would allow him to be on active duty in the Navy for a year and then serve on inactive duty for four years. He decided to take advantage of the program so that he could go on his mission sooner and finish college before he was “of ancient days”. He applied and was accepted. He didn’t have to leave until September of that year so that enabled him to attend one quarter at Stanford University before he left.

          He entered the Navy in September of 1948 and went directly to San Diego for his training in boot camp. He said this was not a fun experience but he was prepared to grit his teeth and tolerate it. He talked a little bit about his week- end leaves in San Diego and going across the border into Mexico. He said he managed to stay away from the prostitutes and the drinking. One bad memory that he told me about was when the guy who slept on the bunk above him came in very drunk and in the middle of the night started vomiting down on Vaughn. He said he was so disgusted.

He was assigned to an aircraft carrier, the Badoeing Strait. He said he really enjoyed being on the carrier. He was assigned to help tie down the planes when they came in. By January 1949 the ship was docked in San Francisco, California. The ship did maneuvers out of San Francisco until March. The ship was in Bremerton, Washington in April and was in and out of that port through June. He was honorably discharged in September 1949 holding the rank of Airman Apprentice. He was officially in the Navel Reserve then. He had received his discharge from the active Navy in time to start the fall quarter at Stanford.