Calvin Williams Funk

Calvin Williams Funk was born Sep 30, 1926 in Rexburg, Idaho to LeRoy Conrad and Grace Viola Williams Funk. Calvin was a veteran of World War II and the Korean War.

History

Before Calvin was born, his father accepted a teaching position at Ricks College (BYU-Idaho) in 1925. In 1929, just before the stock market crash that led to the Great Depression, Calvin's father accepted the appointment of County Extension Agent in Duchesne, Utah.1

In Richmond, Calvin's grandparents, Clarence and Laura Merrill Funk, lost their dairy farm when a prized cow purchased in Wisconsin tested positive for Brucellosis, requiring the destruction of the entire herd. Calvin's father purchased the farm in 1938 and moved to Richmond soon after.  Calvin and his sisters were raised on the farm and Calvin eventually chose the life of a farmer.1

Calvin excelled academically. During 1st grade he would wander the halls of Park Elementary or find himself in the Principal's Office because he had finished all his work and the school could not give him anything challenging enough to keep him busy.  The school board allowed him to skip 2nd grade. He graduated from North Cache High School in 1943 at the age of 16.1

After his service in World War II, Calvin attended Utah State University under the G.I. Bill and graduated with a bachelor's in Animal Science in 1950. Calvin married Helen Carol Noble on Feb 18, 1955 in the Logan, Utah Temple.

Military Service

World War II

On Dec 13, 1944, Calvin enlisted in the United States Navy and was sent to Chicago, Illinois for the Navy's Electronics Training Program where he was trained as a   radioman and electronics technician.  Calvin received additional education at Wilbur Wright College and at Ford Motor's River Rouge plant in Dearborn, Michigan, where the military sent trainees to learn the complex tasks required to use and maintain the ships electronic equipment.3  

By the time Calvin completed his training and began his service, Japan surrendered, ending the war on Sep 2, 1945.  After the war, Calvin joined the Naval Reserve and was sent to San Diego, California as part of the 19th Fleet. He sailed on the U.S.S. Avery Island, Fulton, and Chikaskia.3 In July 1946, while on the Chikaskia, he witnessed the nuclear tests at Bikini Atoll.4

Calvin was honorably discharged on Nov 28, 1946, in San Diego, California as an Electronic Technician's Mate Second Class UNSR-SV-6.  He was awarded the World War II Victory Medal, the Asiatic-Pacific Medal, and the American Campaign Medal.3

Korean War

In 1951, Calvin was enlisted in the United States Army during the Korean War. He was stationed in Salzburg, Austria. Calvin was honorably discharged in 1953 as a First Lieutenant.5

Church Service

After his marriage, Calvin was set apart as a High Priest for the Benson, Utah Stake for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In 1978, Calvin was set apart as the Bishop of the Young Singles Adult 11th Ward.

Agriculture

After his marriage, Calvin purchased the destroyed Jonsson-Merrill Farmstead. It had been damaged in a fire between 1949-1950, and abandoned soon after. Calvin began restoring the farmstead, using some of the surrounding bricks to restore the first floor and "remodeled the handsome old barn."6 

In 1962, Calvin's father was ready to retire as a farmer and sell the farm to Calvin. Calvin and his father did a home swap, switching his restored J-M Farmstead for the Funk Farmstead. He was the third generation to own and operate the Funk Farmstead.

In the 1960s, Calvin, along with Garr Christensen, began the work of replacing their ditch irrigation and pioneering the way for northern Cache Valley to adopt gravity-fed sprinkler irrigation.  It took about 10 years of work, but by 1976, Calvin had been honored as an "Outstanding Cooperator" by the North Cache Soil Conservation District.7

From 1956-1966, Calvin participated as a Committee Chairman of Black & White Days, serving as General Chairman from 1965-1966.8

Calvin served on the Soil Conservation Service, the Utah Dairy Commission, and the Cache County Planning and Zoning.5

Epilogue