Samuel Leo Hymas (1899-1979)

As I've noted in a previous post, that you can find here, the reason for starting this blog is due to looking for information about Grandpa Sam. So, It only seems appropriate that we start with him.

Samuel Leo Hymas (1899-1979)

Grandpa Sam is my maternal grandmother, Geniel Hymas Webb's father; my great grandfather. I was only 15 months old when Grandpa Hymas passed away, so unfortunately all memories are stories that are told to me. Growing up, I would hear stories of him here and there, but mostly I did not know much. Some of the stories I was told demonstrated that he was a hard working, loving, kind man. Every now and then Grandma Webb would tell stories about him and his horses Buck & Ben and how he helped build the road in Emigration Canyon. 

We would go to family reunions and I would not know anyone because we weren't as close to that side of the family due to them being farther away. I remember one family reunion that was in the Liberty Park just off Highway 36. I believe I was a young teenager, 12 or 13. I remember it was the most meager, run down park I had ever been to! I think all it had was a pavilion, an old, hardly working merry-go-round, teeter totter, maybe a couple swings. There was a ball field, but it must have been a really dry year because the grass was mostly dead. I remember thinking how dumb it was to have a reunion at such a boring park haha!

My maternal grandmother, Geniel Hymas's pedigree

Any time we went into Smithfield with Grandma Webb, we were shown where she grew up, along the highway below Crow Mountain. I remember her telling me of all the hours spent climbing and exploring the mountain just east of the home. We were shown the home across from the church in Smithfield and told about Grandpa and Grandma Hymas. For years and years I remember there was a great big magnet on Grandma Webb's deep freeze in her garage that said "MOUNTAIN STATES REALTY - SAM HYMAS" and gave his phone number.

I have been to Grandpa Sam's grave site more times than I can count. It is only in Smithfield and I can remember going with Grandma Webb many times. I've taken Sammy to visit several times as well. So really, hunting this grave was nothing out of the ordinary! 

Grave site May 2017

Smithfield City Cemetery
Samuel and Ireta grave is marked

The day that I took the photo, was over the weekend of Memorial Day 2017. Sammy and I had bought a mum to take and put on the grave, but someone had beat us to it and put these beautiful yellow mums on. Not sure who it was, but I was touched that someone had put the flowers there and on their son's grave, Bruce, who is buried next to them. Sammy and I added some white mums before leaving. 

Samuel Hymas' Personal History

Alfred Cyrus & Mary Ann Hymas Family. 

Back: Alfred Cyrus and Mary Ann
Front: Samuel and Charles

Samuel Leo Hymas was the second child of ten born to Alfred Cyrus and Mary Ann Lyon on May 9, 1899, in Liberty, Bear Lake, Idaho. There were four boys and six girls in the Alfred Cyrus family.

Growing up, Samuel had the nick name "Sammy Rat." This is because of a pony named Rat that his father had purchased when Samuel was about 8 years old and Samuel spent a lot of time riding Rat. He said he basically lived on that pony. He also talks about a dog named Sport that he says was a true and loyal companion. Otherwise there isn't a whole lot about him going up. He simply says he worked at home with some day to day work for neighbors now and then.

Samuel was baptized by his father in Liberty Creek on July 13, 1907. He was later confirmed a member on July 28, 1907. Samuel was ordained a Deacon Feb 23, 1914 by William R Morgan He was a councilor in the Deacons Quorum presidency all three years. He was ordained a teacher on Jan 6, 1918, also by William R Morgan.

 

In his personal history, he talks about a time when he was about 10 or 12 and suffering from what was called "chilblains" and was suffering so much that he struggled to sleep. One night when he was able to fall asleep, he dreamed that he should rub his feet with olive oil to help. He got up, soaked his feet in olive oil and never had chilblains again. He believes this answer was from Heavenly Father. 

In 1918, his older brother Charles and cousin Ira Lee Hymas were drafted for WWI. He says it felt as if "the bottom had dropped out of everything." He and Ira were almost inseparable as friends and he and Charles had always been close as brothers. For them to both leave at the same time and go to war, it was almost more than he could handle. Soon after though, Charles came home due to health reasons. Unfortunately, Ira passed away from influenza at Camp Freemont Park, in San Mateo, California on October 23, 1918.

Another experience he relates is when he was about 20 years old. He went in to have his tonsils removed. Back in those days they used ether for operations. When he went unconscious after the administration of the ether, he left his body. He says that he "started to leave the room out through the ceiling, and would get just about where I could take a hold of a mans hand and my father would call me back telling me to breathe." He would go back to his body, take a breath and try and go again. He recounts that this happened several times until "the man that I was trying to go with (dressed all in white) told me that my work was not yet finished." He says that when he woke from the operation, his parents were excited because they thought he had passed away.

In 1919, his brother Charles, married a young lady named Ruth Richards. The first few years after they were married, they lived in Sharon. He says, "It was at this time that Ruth's sister, Ireta Richards came to Sharon to teach school, and the first time I ever saw her I thought she was the most perfect girl I had ever met. Little did I realize at that time, that some day she would be the mother of my children."

During this time, Samuel owned a real good team of horses named Buck & Ben. Due to this team of horses, he was able to get some good paying jobs in construction. One of those jobs being with the Sharon Threshing Machine Company to operate a gasoline engine. John Gertch was operating the separator. They worked together for the years of 1920-1923 and says it taught him a lot about machinery that was a help through out his life.

He relates a story about how Mr Gertch points out that they had threshed more than any other week and didn't have any break downs. Mr. Gertch, whom "was not much of a church man" said that the only thing he could attribute this to was the fact that the people they were staying with insisted on family prayers every morning and the Lord being invited to be with them during the day. Samuel says this was a testimony building time for him. 

While living in Sharon, Samuel was ordained a Priest on May, 7 1922 by Bishop Samuel Edward Hymas (an uncle). During this time he worked as scout master, Sunday school teacher and superintendent of Young Men's Mutual Improvement Association. He says "my work in the Sharon Ward is probably where I received such a joy and desire to work with young people, and it has been my privilege to work with them in nearly all the positions I have held in the church." On Oct 1, 1922, he was ordained an Elder by President William L. Rich of the Bear Lake Stake. 

Marriage Certificate

September 19, 1923 Samuel married Ireta Richards from Paris. They were married in the Logan Temple by President Joseph R. Sheperd, president of the temple at the time. Samuel's father and Ireta's mother went to the temple when they were married. There was not any reception. The next day they drove, with Samuel's father, to Salt Lake City. After staying there for several days, they headed back to Idaho. 

For the first little while after marriage, they lived part of the time with Samuel's parents and some of the time with Charles and Ruth while Samuel was working with his team on Emigration Canyon Road (Highway 36).

Their first home was a one bedroom house in Paris. They rented it from an elderly lady. They lived there for only a couple months when they decided to take over the running of a farm in Sharon for Miller & Veile Co. of Salt Lake. There they lived in an old 2 bedroom house that did not yet have electricity, so they had to use oil lamps. They also had to get water from the stream in the yard. During the winter, they would have to haul it in in milk cans from another creek, as the one on the property would dry up. They fixed up the old home with some woven carpet for the bedroom and a stove and linoleum for the kitchen.

They had moved into the 2 bedroom home of Samuel's father shortly before their first child, Leo Dean Hymas was born on Ground Hogs day, Feb 2, 1926. This home was known as the Linford place and was about 2 miles south of the church.

Soon after, they worked a farm for O.V Harris who was living in Salt Lake, employed by Miller & Veile Co. While living here, 2 years after Leo was born, their second child, Bruce Richard Hymas was born on Feb 2, 1928.

By 1932, the property owner, Mr Harris had sold this property and purchased another farm. With Samuel and Ireta, still running the day to day activities pertaining to the farm. This home was much nicer than the previous home. This home had multiple rooms with a kitchen and part basement. There was a small screen porch off the kitchen and a pump close to the door. 

The night that Geniel was born, Samuel had to take a team of horses and go into the next town, Ovid and bring the doctor to the home. The snow was deep, but getting soft due to spring time, so cars were unable to drive on it. The horses could only walk as each foot would sink through the snow so it took a long time to get the couple miles to Ovid and back. Soon after the doctor arrived, Geniel Hymas was born on April 1, 1932. Late that night, Grandfather (Alfred Cyrus) Hymas stopped by on his way home and said he just couldn't go home without finding out what news was to be told. Samuel and Ireta now had 2 ground hogs and a fool!

Bruce, Geniel, Leo
Ireta, Samuel
1955

This was in the midst of the depression. The partnership with the farm had continued until then and Mr Harris was unable to make payments on the farm, thus they were out of not only a job, but their home as well. With 3 little children, the Hymas' moved to an old house in Liberty.  During the winter, the old house was too cold so they moved into the dwelling part in the back of the Liberty Cash Store. Even though funds were scarce, it is during this time that Samuel purchased the saw-mill in Emigration Canyon. They had some business with a large local company that purchased all the Douglass Fur they could produce. They were also able to trade lumber for various other items, including groceries. Samuel reports that he was able "to keep about six families in groceries."

Samuel and Ireta had been given a corner lot by Orsen Hymas (Alfred Cyrus' cousin) so that they could build a home. They traded lumber for things such as nails, shingles, doors and windows. The home was finished in the fall of 1933 and had been built on the corner of Mill Lane. It had a nice front room, two bedrooms, a good sized kitchen and a small room for a bathroom once they were able to pipe water. Samuel's parents lived west of them about a mile, and the school and church were north about two miles. Also, Samuel was first counselor to Bishop Albert Miller from 1933-1936.

In 1934, Samuel's father passed away. He then sold the mill and took over his father's job hauling milk to the creamery in Paris Idaho. They purchased a big truck to do this. However over time, expenses rose and wages stayed the same. A lot of times, it would take his entire check to pay for the expenses of hauling. After delivering the milk for the day, Samuel would take any odd jobs he could to help with the payments. He would take many trips to Ogden, Brigham City and back. Ultimately he had to give up the milk job.

A turkey flock Samuel fed while working
for Sperry Flour Company

At this point, Samuel started working for Sperry Flour Company of Ogden. "At the time they were financing turkeys for farmers and we had between fifteen and twenty thousand in that area to furnish feed for each summer." Samuel used the truck and continued to drive back and forth from Ogden to the Bear Lake Valley. Taking animals down to sell, and bringing feed back. It was during this time that Samuel and Ireta moved to Montpelier in 1936 and opened a Feed & Produce store. They had a little store they rented and sold Sperry products and fresh fruit that had been trucked into the area by Samuel. Ireta would take care of the store. During the summer of 1937, Samuel and Ireta decided to buy a lot to move the home they had built in Sharon to Montpelier. They borrowed enough money and paid a company from Salt Lake $400 to move their home. They had a full basement put under it, along with full plumbing for the bathroom and kitchen sink. This home was moved onto the second block north of main street on Highway 30.

That next February, in 1938, Samuel and Ireta and the kids drove to Logan to see his brother Charles who was visiting from Tooele, Utah for a meeting. While there, they discussed how Charles was needing a man to work his farm located north of Smithfield, also in Cache Valley. They had felt that Montpelier was not where they wanted to raise their family and started making other plans. Samuel, Ireta and their three children then moved to this farm in Smithfield. This farm was on the northern skirts of Smithfield on the west side of Highway 91. The home is still there, in the shadow of Crow Mountain.

On March 1st, Samuel went to the farm, two weeks later, Ireta and the children followed bringing their possessions along. Leo was 12, Bruce was 10 and Geniel was almost 6. They lived in the newly organized Smithfield 4th Ward, of the Benson Stake.

Envelope with Hyards logo

After about 5 years working the farm for Charles, they bought the farm outright and called it "The Hyards Dairy Farm". ("Hy" from Hymas and "ards" from Richards.) At this point they invested in only purebred Holstein cattle. Samuel says that on this farm they accomplished what they had set out to do, raise their children in a good place.

Samuel & Ireta 1954

Once the children were gone, they could not run the farm by theirselves. So in 1948, they built a home inside Smithfield City. All carpenter work was done by Samuel and Warren Staley. It still stands, across the street from the LDS church that is on 200 North. They moved there in November 1948.

That New Years Eve, they were planning a party. They were getting ready when all of a sudden Samuel became violently ill. After a doctor had visited their home, he was not getting better so was instructed by Dr. Robert Budge to take him into Logan to the hospital because he was having convulsions. After having getting some fluids intravenously, he regained conscious and was able to go home a few days later. He was given a blessing by President W. Hazen Hillary, Leo and Bruce. While in the hospital, it seemed that he had passed away several times. 

Then, a few days past the year mark that he had been rushed to the hospital, it happened again. Initially, they believed that his attack had been due to food poising, but when it happened again, doctors were unsure what was causing the attacks. Then, the attacks started coming about every six months. The doctors diagnosed him with Porphyria. If the doctors are able to get IVs in him soon enough, he is able to pass through an attack with little issue. If the doctor is delayed for any reason, then he ends up in the hospital again. Many times, he was very close to death. The last time he was in the hospital, it was in 1956. He was a member of the stake presidency at that time and it was also stake conference. After the afternoon session of conference, the other members of the presidency, President's Ravsten and Van Orden, along with Elder Harold B Lee of the Twelve Apostles came to the hospital. President Ravsten anointed and Elder Lee sealed the anointing and gave him a blessing. Among other things in the blessing he was blessed that his body would be healed. Elder Lee said, "President Hymas, the vital organs  of your body that have been wrecked and torn with pain will be made well by the southing and healing touch of the hand of the Almighty God." Later, Samuel says he was wakened a by a hand touching him, yet no one was in the room with him. He felt sure this was when the blessing he had been given was fulfilled. Soon after, he was well and did not have any more attacks from that day on.

Stationary from Real Estate business
when it was run it out of his home.

Check from Mt. States Realty

When the sale of the farm had closed, the realtor that they had listed with asked Samuel if he would like to be a salesman for them. He took the real estate exam, and that was his start in real estate. Starting off, he did business out of his home in Smithfield. Shortly after starting with the Mallory Investment Company, the owner, Ray Mallory called Samuel into his office. He explained that he had been called to preside over a mission and he wanted Samuel to run his business while they were away. Once Mr. Mallory returned from his mission, Samuel started his own firm, calling it Mountain States Realty. The office was then moved to 62 West 100 North in Logan. During this time, Samuel was recognized for many accomplishments as a real estate agent. In 1961, Samuel was elected to be the director of The National Association Real Estate Boards.

Samuel served as an officiator in the Logan temple from 1960 until receiving a call to go on a mission in January 1963. Samuel and Ireta were assigned to the British Mission. The mission call was signed by President David O. Mckay, and the mission president was Marion D Hanks. Samuel and Ireta served a very honorable mission and were released 1964. 
    
Not much else is written by way of history for Samuel or Ireta after returning from their mission. Reading their histories, they both had a very strong testimony and love for their Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. They were both faithful members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints.

Ireta passed away February 16, 1974 aged 71 years, 11 months and 10 days.
Samuel passed away January 16, 1979 aged 79 years, 8 months and 7 days.
They are buried in the Smithfield City Cemetery in Smithfield, Utah. 


Samuel's Ordinances Complete
Baptism - 13 July 1907
Confirmation - 13 July 1907
Initiatory - 19 September 1923 Logan Utah Temple
Endowment - 19 September 1923 Logan Utah Temple
Sealing to Parents - Born in the Covenant
Sealing to Spouse - 19 September 1923 Logan Utah Temple

***To see the purpose of starting this blog, please click here.***