For quite a while I have wondered where my grandpa, Than Cooper lived in Panguitch when he was a boy. Recently I found a very good history about the Henrie Family written by descendants of John N. Henrie, who was Mary's brother. Mary Henrie was Than Cooper's mother. Click here for the link to this history.
One thing that this history contains is the location of many of the Henrie Family homes in Panguitch. The house that Grandpa lived in is no longer standing. It was located at 152 East 200 South, three blocks east of the house where Than and Bell Cooper lived.
Mary's mother and father (Christena and James Henrie) lived in a north-facing home about 14 East and 3rd South. That home is also gone.
It was a Thursday evening, it was dark out. My father was outside. He had just come home from getting some fish bait from a neighbor's house because he and my little brother were leaving for a vacation in California the following morning. A sheriff's car pulled up in front of our house and gave my dad the news. I was in my room with Mom when Dad came into the house. I will always remember the look on my father's face when he came into my room to break the news to us. Mom knew right away something was wrong, but I suppose she never thought it would be something so terrible. I can remember vividly the words he spoke when he came in. He was quite shaken, but tried to retain his composure. He told my mother to get a hold of herself because he had something to tell her. Mom sensed it and hysterically asked what it was. Then Dad said, "Lynn has been killed in a car accident. He and the Bickmore boy were killed." My mom started sobbing and cried over and over, "My poor Lynnie!"
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Earlier that day my older brother Lynn had come home from his classes at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City. On his way into Tooele, he saw a couple of his friends who invited him to go fishing in the Uintas, and he decided to go along. He left a note at home saying he would be home late that night.
Once in the Uintas, the boys separated along the river, each looking for the best place to fish. Later in the afternoon, Lynn and Steve met back up, but they could not find Wayne for quite a while. When they finally found him, it was late afternoon. Steve had a date that night and had to get home. They were probably in a hurry traveling the curving road of the Mirror Lake Highway. Near Soapstone campground, their car left the road and rolled*. Lynn and Steve were in the front seats of the car, not wearing seat belts, and they were ejected as the car rolled. Lynn was thrown clear from the car but Steve was thrown in the path of the rolling car. A piece of chrome went through his body and he was instantly killed.
Lynn was having trouble breathing. A doctor happened to be camping in nearby Soapstone Campground. I don't know if he saw the accident, or was called upon, but he performed a tracheotomy on my brother**. Lynn was alive for around ten minutes after the wreck, then he died. The two bodies were taken to Coalville where the embalming was done.
After my dad broke the news to my mom, she began to nervously hurry around the house cleaning, "because people would be coming." I remember that I sat on the table as my dad called the mortuary, his brother to tell him he would't be coming to California, and the rest of our relatives to break the news. When I went to bed that night, Mom was still up. When I woke up the next morning, she was already up and cleaning the house. I know she was just trying to keep her mind occupied.
We all tried to eat breakfast, but had a difficult time. Then the paper came, and I looked for an article on the accident. We hadn't known too many details about the wreck. This was when we found out that Wayne had been with them and he had been slightly injured.
Shortly after, our good neighbors came over to our house, and then people came all day long. The next few days were a blur. There were arrangements to be made for the funeral and burial. We were all still in shock and could hardly believe what we were doing. Our bishop and the mortuary took care of almost everything.
We had to go to the mortuary to do what we had dreaded doing, view Lynn's body. We had already gone to the mortuary and cemetery to pick out the casket and lot. We had also had to pick out the clothes he would be buried in. Going to the mortuary that day was probably the proof and realization for us that what had been happening for the last few days was real.
Our family and a few other relatives went with us to the mortuary. We all kind of held onto each other as we went to view his body. I was relieved and my anxiety laid to rest when I saw that Lynn looked perfect. I was afraid that he would have cuts and bruises, but there was nothing wrong with his appearance. He looked as though he was peacefully asleep and it gave us peace of mind to think that he looked like he had not gone through much pain.
Most people hate to go to viewings, but if you have ever been a family member of the deceased, you realize that you appreciate the people who have come to pay their respects. People expressed words of praise, words of kindness, words of love, and words of sorrow. One of Lynn's high school teachers told my parents, "Lynn was a mastermind!" It was really hard on all of us to have to go through all the tears over and over again, but it was a real comfort to know that people cared. The funeral was held the next day at our church, and then he was laid to rest. A meal was prepared for the family at our house. I was relieved that it was finally all over.
Then for the next few weeks there was an emptiness in our home. Feelings were still very tender. There were matters to be taken care of that caused my mother much heartache. We had to arrange for his car to be sold or at least taken away from the house because if we looked out and saw it there, we automatically expected him to be coming through the door any minute. When we would walk by his room, we'd expect to see him there reading. Subconsciously we anticipated his arrivals, but of course they never came. We also had to clean out his clothes and belongings which were again a heartache. It sort of seemed that we were cleaning away any remembrance of material things that would bring back the pain.
I know my father felt more pain than he ever showed. He had to "keep it together" for the rest of us. I don't know if my heart ever pained more than when I saw my father cry. My dad went through quite a change after Lynn's death, our whole family did.
We became a closer, more loving family. We grew together as we helped each other through it all. My little brother had a very hard time. He was ten years old and so he didn't have the support from friends that the rest of us had. It was a very sad time for him. He idolized his older brother.
Mom didn't get better for a long time. In fact, I don't know if she was ever the same. As time went on, it got a little better, but she mourned for Lynn the rest of her life. I'm sure I have no idea how much she suffered.
When my mom died, it gave me comfort to know that she was reunited with her son again. It had been 36 years since they had been together. I felt the same way when my dad died. What a glorious reunion for both of my parents to be with their son and their parents again.
Today is the 39th anniversary of Lynn's death. I love you big brother, give Mom, Dad and Dave a hug and kiss from me.
Clicks here to view Lynn's Findagrave Memorial.
Epitaph on headstone: "Now he walks in quiet solitude, the forest and the streams."
*The time of the accident was 3:25. A week or so after the accident, we received a package in the mail containing Lynn's possessions that were in the car. Among the items was Lynn's Timex watch he had been wearing at the time of the accident. The crystal was cracked and the time stopped at 3:25 p.m.
**He performed the tracheotomy with his pocketknife.
The 1940 Census was taken in April 1940. It has recently been released after a 72 year waiting period. Census takers went door to door to gather the information. The 1940 Census used 175,000 maps as guides for the workers taking the census, so that they could personally visit every house, building, tent, cabin, hut or other place where a person might be living or staying. If a family was not at home at the time of the first visit, the census taker would return later.
In April 1940, the Than Cooper family was living in the same home as in 1935. They owned their home and the value was listed as $700. Their neighbors were the Ira Webb family, Frank Hatch family, and Carl Boyles family.
There were four children living at home: Jim (age 19), Grant (age 16), Mae L.(age 14) and Fae Ann (age 9). Grandpa was 47 and Grandma was 46. The individual who transcribed this page of the census apparently could not read the writing. Grandpa's name was listed as "Heller Nathaniel." The word Heller looked to me as it the census taker had written something then scribbled it out. Grant was listed as "Trant," and Mae was listed as "Mal."
Grandpa was listed as the head of the household. His occupation was sheep herder. He said that he had worked 56 weeks in 1939, earning $550. His highest grade completed was grade 7. Jim was also listed as working as a sheep herder. He had worked 52 weeks the previous year. Grant was listed as not working and was not looking for a job even though he was 16.
My mom was 10 years old when she was diagnosed with her hip problem. That would have made the year 1940, so she was probably having trouble with her hip at the time.
In 1940 Europe was in the middle of World War II, although the United States didn't enter the war until the next year with the bombing of Pearl Harbor. The country was just leaving the depression behind. Gasoline was 11 cents a gallon, and the average cost of a new car was $850. The average cost of a new home was $3,920. The average salary was $1,725.
Nylon stockings had been invented the year before and were all the rage with women. The movie "Gone With The Wind," was in theaters and Disney made the movie "Pinocchio." Bennie Goodman and Count Basie were popular bands. Life Magazine cost 10 cents. Franklin D. Roosevelt had just be re-elected as the first third-term president.
