Walter Henry Wilcox

Walter Henry Wilcox was born June 3, 1896 in Baker City, Oregon to George Albert and Susan Grace Crabbe Wilcox. Walter was a veteran of World War I.

History

Before Walter was born, his father fled to Oregon so he could practice polygamy. Though the Manifesto was published by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was issued in 1890, Walter's father continued to practice, including after the Second Manifesto was published in 1904. The Wilcox family moved to Richmond in 1899.

"Many things happened in the following years. The hardships of raising seven children was indeed a struggle for existence from beginning to end. My mother, being a plural wife, had to look out for her self and children. Each one, as they became old enough to work, -and that was at a very young age -had to go out and earn what money they could to help keep this family together. The girls worked in homes, of which one was a doctor's home. They were treated very well. There was only one doctor in the small town of Richmond, Utah.

"The boys had to help raise a garden, as well as to go out and work for farmers, to help eke out an existence. I worked for a farmer when I was nine years old for .25 cents a day. This was about as early as I could understand the hardships of my mother, although I helped mother in the garden long before I was nine years old. I wandered over the hills with a 22 rifle, killing rabbits and different kinds of wild chickens, fishing in the streams and rivers, which helped to keep food on the table. I tried to set traps for rabbits, but seldom caught one. I could shoot a rabbit on the run with my 22 rifle as easy as most men could with a shot gun. This was the greatest sport in life for me, for all boys love to hunt and shoot a gun, and I was no exception.

"...I graduated from the grade school in Richmond, Utah, known as the Richmond Cache County Utah District School. I also attended the North Cache County High School at Richmond for one year. I left high school for work. I went to Downey, Idaho for a farmer and worked all summer. This was about 40 miles north from home. The next year or two I was in Downey again, but for a different farmer. I milked cows in the winter while going through school.

After his war service, Walter moved to Rexburg, Idaho for work before moving back to Richmond in 1921. Shortly after, Walter married Myrtle Coleman on June 15, 1921 in the Logan, Utah Temple. Soon after their marriage, they moved to California.

World War I Service

Walter enlisted in the United States Army for World War I on June 5, 1917 and was placed in the 20th Infantry at Fort Douglas, Utah.

"The call finally came. We packed up and left fort Douglas on 30 June 1918 for parts unknown... We traveled by train from Salt Lake to Ogden, up thru Wyoming and Nebraska; crossed the Platte River, then down into Kansas. We pulled into Camp Furston at day break.

"...In November of 1918, I felt the flu coming on. Everyone that went to the hospital died, so I didn't dare report it. It was in the afternoon, so that evening I took a hot bath, then rubbed Watkins menthol camphor all over my chest, throat and face, put some extra blankets on me and crawled in bed to sweat out the flu. The next morning I was pretty weak, but I got up and stood inspection. The flu had gone away. I had prayed often while in the army. That instance was a faith promoting experience to me. I was discharged as a sergeant from the army on 26 January 1919. I trained the men to shoot the Springfield army rifle correctly. I was quite a basketball player at school and in the army. I was stationed at Camp Furston, Kansas at the time of my discharge from the army."

Epilogue