HALVERSON TRIBUTE to PAUL'S LIFE by PAUL

   A Tribute to My LIfe
by Paul

I was born July 7-1935 and I wrote this on July 7, 1998 

To Signe Elizabeth Holmes and Harvey Halverson

2 brothers Eugene and Leland 

He lived in Bingham Canyon, Utah wandering the hillsides with his dog Butch, hill after hill, day after day until his mother hardly recognized him when he came home for breaks.  Paul roaming inspired him to do some dreaming of his own.  He writes, “My name is Chief Red Deer.  They call me that because I like to hunt deer and I live in a tepee with my Mother and Father.”  He grew in strength and wisdom until he was old enough and smart enough to attend West Jordan Junior High school.  The year of 1948-49 brought him these grades.  History c-; English D-    Literature c  Math c+  Gym D-   Science c,  Shop C  Health D+   However maybe the teachers didn’t recognize a talented student when one sat right before them.  Take this

I know a whistling boy, no mater what he has to do

He whistles away at work or play and goes on till he’s through. 

You cannot keep him still; he whistles morning night and noon

If ever you

He heard a singing bird; you know how gay and merry is his tune.

Or How about this

I have a little kitty.  I’m very fond of her.

I give her milk and crackers and stroke her silky fur

We sit before the fire, she sleeps upon my knee

I’M very fond of kitty, and kitty is fond of me.

But with these grades Grandpa and Grandma Halverson worried somewhat when he was to inter High School.  Could he do it or not? Not to worry.  Paul graduated from Utah State University with Honors being among the top 10 in his class of 144 graduates.

Paul was baptized at the age of 8 years.  But in his teen years he and Vivian became more interested in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.  He attended Seminary during school hours.  Attended mutual with such regularity that Jan 22, 1953 he was awarded the Deseret Recognition Award which entitled him to wear the Deseret Recognition pin.

About this time Paul became interested in Future Farmers of America.  FFA motto “learning to do, doing to learn.  Earning to live, living to serve “depicted Paul’s

philosophy of life at that time.  He was so successful at raising pigs that he won purple ribbon  after purple ribbon for his Chester White sow, Daisy Mae.  He was honored at the Feb 2, 1953 Banquet where they began by singing Hail! Hail! The gangs all here.  Never mind the weather; here we get together, Hail! Hail! The gangs all here.  Let the program start right now.

After graduating from Jordan High School he obtained a separation notice form Kennecott Copper Corporation Utah Copper Division where he was employed from 9/3/54 to 10/18/55 to leave on a mission for the L.D.S. Church.  However, there once was an Alice.  Alice was a beautiful young lady who Paul was very much smitten with.  However, Alice was not the wonderful young lady his family had dreamed for Paul.  In fact Alice was a little wild.  Alice did not feel it was worthwhile waiting for a missionary to return and so it was not with sadden hearts that Alice disappeared from the family scene, even though Paul felt somewhat dejected.    He was called to serve in the New Zealand Mission.  His Farwell testimonial was on Oct 16, 1955.  He bravely bid Farwell to his family.  Karen obliged him by playing a piano piece at his Farwell.  Paul was ordained an Elder on July 9^th by Lawrence T Dahl who was ordained by Melvin J Ballard who was ordained by Heber J grant who was ordained by Heber C Kimball who was ordained by Brigham Young who was ordained by the three witness of the Book of Mormon.  Oliver Cowdery, David Whitmer and Martin Harris who were ordained by the Prophet Joseph Smith.

      Paul spent several years serving as a missionary.  He was in the last group of missionaries to travel to New Zealand by boat which took many days.  He was also privileged to help build the New Zealand Temple and visit with President Hinckley who wasn’t President then.  He was released as a New Zealand Temple Worker April 30^th, 1958.  Paul returned from his mission by way of the S.S. Monterey June 2, 1958.

Sometime soon after Paul’s mission, he was drafted in the U.S. Army.  He belonged to the U.S. Army 52^nd infantry.  He spent his army time in Friedberg, Germany.  While serving in the army, Paul was given a letter of commendation from his commanding Officer George T Pitts Jr.  June 30, 1961. 

After being discharged from the Military, Paul worked for the Utah power and Lights Company for many years.  In 1968 he again entered school at USU in the Vocational Educational department.  He graduated with honors June 5, 1971 being initiated into Phi Kappa Phi at Utah State University.  “Halverson joins the only honor society to recognize superior scholarship at the end of four years of study in all fields of learning.  Phi Kappa Phi chooses each year for its membership the top 10% of the students in each of USU’s eight colleges”

During Paul’s years at USU he met a beautiful and wonderful lady much younger than he.  But he could not get her out of his mind try as he might.  The summer he graduated from USU, having obtained his pilot license he flew to Alaska and Canada and then took a job teaching at a vocational school in St. George Utah.  Even though the beautiful Lady and Paul never intended to continue their relationship somehow, Paul communicated to her what a beautiful county Alaska was.  The beautiful lady had taken a job in KY at that time.  On hearing how beautiful Alaska was and thinking that Paul would surely move to Alaska, the following year she took a job in Alaska.  Paul not wanting to continue his relationship because she was catholic and he LDS, sort of accidently took a job in KY.  Neither one telling the other what they had done.

After 4 years of dating back and forth, traveling here and there, the two were finally married in Dillingham, Alaska.  Paul D Halverson and Agnes E. Mahony were married by the Bahia’s on June 28, 1974 in the home of Agnes Halverson.  It was attended only by friends, a very simple wedding.

At that time Paul was teaching at Maplewood’s Community College, Kansas City, Missouri aviation technology.  They bought a home in the country outside of Missouri City, Missouri.  There 3 children were born,  Hansel Harvey Sept 2, 1975,  Beth Ann Sept 4, 1977 and David John    Sept 11, 1979.  Paul again went back to school and obtained his Masters in Industrial, Vocational technology from Missouri State University, Warrensburg, Missouri 1978, Feb.28.

The family moved from Missouri to Carbondale, Illinois two weeks after David was born.  Paul had taken a job as a professor at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale.  There they spent many happy years in the house on the hill at Dutch Ridge.  Another son Peter Andrew was born March 5, 1882.  All four of the children had become the pride and delight of their Father.  He felt that they should learn responsibility so he bought them all a goat to milk.  The goats gave us many hours of fun and grief.  At that time Paul was teaching the Royal Malaysian Air force men at SIU.  They became welcome guests at our house almost every week-end.  They loved the children, cooked for the whole neighborhood, helped Paul chop wood, paint the house, and were a delight to have around.  Paul eventually sponsored one of the girls, Jayanthi, so she could get her green card and work in the U.S.A.

In the spring of 1987, Paul spent much time and effort trying to obtain tenure at the Carbondale, University.  Alas, he was not able to out do the political hal-a-ba-lu and found himself with out a job by July.  He bought a motor home, sold his home in Illinois and moved across country looking for a job.  Sept of 1987, he took employment with the FAA in Cleveland, Ohio where he raised his four lovely children.  From there 3 of the children went on their missions. Three had attended or were attending college.  Two were living out west.  Hans was living in Ashland, NC and Peter was on his mission.  In Feb, 2002 Agnes had taken a PHN job on the Crow Indian Reservation in Montana with the idea that Paul would join her as soon as he was able to retire from the FAA in Cleveland.In May 2002, he retired and joined Agnes in a home in Hardin, Montana.

In 2007 Agnes retired and Paul and Agnes moved to Lovell, Wyoming because it seemed like such a lovely place.  Today they have many friends in Lovell but miss the children and grandchildren so in Sept of 2010 they bought a condo in SLC with the intention of spending time between SLC and Lovell.   

Paul has many friends all over the USA by now.  He has done much traveling but says it has been a worthwhile journey.