Burnett family members are Mayflower descendants!

I learned today (15 Nov 2020) that my 9th great-grandfather through the Burnett/Brewer/Stevens/Brady line,John Alden, came to America on the Mayflower in 1621. This means that all descendants of Ken and Melba Burnett are also descendants of a Mayflower occupant! Here is some additional information about John Alden. Age at Landing=22 John Alden was born in England around 1599. He was a cooper and crew member on the Mayflower. After arriving in America, he signed the Mayflower Compact and decided to stay rather than returning to England. Alden performed extensive public service for the colony, serving in roles such as Treasurer and Assistant Governor. In 1623 he married fellow passenger Priscilla Mullins, and the two raised 10 children together. Descendants of John and Priscilla Alden comprise one of the largest groups of Mayflower descendants living today. When he died in Duxbury in 1687, Alden was the last surviving signer of the Mayflower Compact.

Kenneth and Melba Burnett family videos

Marjorie Burnett Jones recently provided me with copies of DVDs containing videos of interviews of her parents, Kenneth William Burnett and Melba Brewer Burnett, Kenneth's graveside service, and videos taken of family members attending a family gathering at their daughter Louise's Sugarhouse home in Salt Lake City following funeral services for Melba Burnett. Also contained in that last video are old photographs on display during the reception that are narrated and explained by then Marjorie Burnett Hess. 

These rare and precious Burnett family history videos have been uploaded to YouTube and are available to those with the hyperlinks listed below. The interviews of Ken and Melba provide valuable insight into events in their lives, their upbringing, personality, and their values and beliefs.

Melba Brewer Burnett interview. May 1988
https://youtu.be/NER-VwXUj7g

Burnett relatives gather for funeral of Melba Brewer Burnett; Jun1994
https://youtu.be/MkhxF2FMSNk

Cameron and Marge Hess commenting on old Burnett family photographs; 20Jun1994
https://youtu.be/xbgKhykHoi4

Ken Burnett WWI experiences; 1998
https://youtu.be/VZCpuvPVEoQ

Kenneth Burnett 1998 Airman of the Year
https://youtu.be/27xWJa0uSn0

Graveside services for Ken Burnett; Jan 2001

https://youtu.be/MWmA0cD3kJ8


Please share a link to this post with your family members since I don't have emails for all Burnett family descendants.

FYI: these YouTube links are not publicly searchable, but are accessible only to those who have access to the hyperlinks listed above.

Shared Memories on the anniversary of Grandfather Kenneth Burnett's death

This photo was taken in the summer of 1999 or 2000. 

Jayson, Cameron, and Katie Hess in front row.
Clayton, Grandfather, Marge, Zachary in back.

(click to expand)

Memories of Grandfather Ken Burnett written by Cameron Hess on the occasion of the 19th anniversary of his death (Jan 7, 2020) and which I intend to post on the Burnett Family blog, and distribute to extended family via email.

My maternal grandfather (your relationship may vary) Kenneth William Burnett died on January 7, 2001, at the age of 105, having lived during various parts of three centuries: 19th, 20th, and 21st. His life spanned the era of the horse and buggy to the Space Shuttle.

My earliest memories of him were while my older cousins and I spent time at my grandparents 2-story cabin near the top of Emigration Canyon Road above Salt Lake City before our family went to Germany in 1964, which they apparently sold while we were away. I remember that there was an old, non-functional organ in the front room with lots of white pull stop knobs that were fun to play with. I think he had hopes of fixing that organ so grandkids were scolded for playing with it.

I believe that in the old fashion kitchen there was a niche for storing firewood that had a door that opened to the outside to allow firewood to be added from outside. We cousins had fun climbing in and out of the house through that hole until we got in the way of the grown-ups who were probably trying to prepare meals. There were many large shade trees around the cabin (but no lawn as I recall) and it was a wonderful place for young children to explore and have fun.

I think I stayed overnight in one of the upstairs bedrooms on at least one occasion. i vaguely recall that there was some kind of problem (possibly an injury...removing a sliver?) with one of the other children (possibly one of my siblings) that resulted in a lot of loud drama, and possibly cutting short our visit. I've tried to return to this area to try to find this cabin to take a picture of it since I know of no such photos; however, the roads are private and protected by locked gates. The cabin has probably been remodeled and may be difficult to recognize.

Grandfather built a home further down the canyon out of old army barracks. I have no idea how the sections of those barracks were moved into position atop the steep driveway high above the roadway. I suppose he had to hire a large crane. That home was built either before I was born or when I was very young.

The home had a fireplace in both the front room and the small kitchen. There was a round table in the small rectangular kitchen positioned beneath a tiffany lamp hanging from the ceiling. Single pane windows were the norm back then, so ice often would form on the inside of the windows during the winter from condensation in the air.

There was an old black and white TV in the front room that I never recall working. There was also a stereo system (radio and maybe a record player) which I also never recall seeing operational. I also recall there being not a single game of any sort in the whole house, to the disappointment of all the grandchildren.

There was a nice-sized shaded front porch with room on either side of the front door for his and hers rocking chairs with a view of the BEAUTIFUL flower gardens they planted in their massive front yard. The flowers were so pretty that cars traveling up and down the narrow, 2-lane canyon road would pull over onto whatever small shoulder was available to take photographs of the flower garden.

While my father was in Vietnam and our family lived in Bountiful, I recall Grandfather and Grandmother driving out to visit us at least once a month, usually on a Sunday afternoon. Almost without exception, they always brought some item of food they purchased as a reason to come see us. I always thought it odd that they didn't seem comfortable with just coming for a visit without bringing a gift. I suppose they were just trying to be kind.

If I had it to do over again, I would sit down and ask them questions about their childhoods, ancestors, and early lives and tape record their answers until they got tired of talking. As a young teenager, such grown up talk did not usually interest me. I regret that it seems neither of them wrote a life history.

I know that Grandfather served in the military during WWI and was once assigned to the security detail for US President Wilson at the time the Armistice ending the war was signed. Grandfather served a states-side proselyting mission while he still had children living at home and adult men were called to serve as companions with other adult men. Grandfather and Grandmother also served a mission in England while my family lived in Germany in the mid-1960's. I think they came to visit us once and my folks may have reciprocated. For at least a few years, he worked for a company that collected overdue bills for medical professionals.

I know that they served in the Salt Lake temple on a regular basis for many years and presumably owned and cared for and transported their own temple clothes. (Grandmother embroidered me a temple apron as a wedding gift). Not withstanding the fact that they both served in the temple for years, my wedding photos taken outside the temple show Grandfather holding a brown paper sack in his hand, which presumably held his white temple trousers, socks, and shoes, as I think most temple weddings were "white" back then, meaning attendees had to change into white clothing to attend.  I suppose his attitude was: why buy a small suitcase when they give away free paper bags at the grocery store?

Grandfather always wore long sleeve shirts with the top button closed, even when he was working in the yard. I recall him sometimes wearing overalls while working, but he usually wore worn out dress shoes while working in the yard, being die-hard proponents of the depression-era motto to wear everything out until it was no longer useable. I recall that when their previous manual transmission car finally died in the early 70's, he very reluctantly bought a base model (no frills), 4-door Toyota Corolla with his first ever automatic transmission, but only because it came standard. He was worried that automatic transmissions were unreliable. That car may have lasted longer than they did.

I don't recall very many one-on-one times with Grandfather Burnett, perhaps one or two trips to the store to buy groceries. I've been told that other cousins had different experiences, including long talks with Grandfather, for which experiences I am jealous.

It was a family tradition to visit Grandmother and Grandfather on Christmas Eve each year, since it was her birthday. From the perspective of the grandchildren, the evening became boring after several hours of adults talking, unless we could convince Grandfather to take out his false teeth and entertain us with the hilarious expression he made while smacking his gums together while talking without teeth.

After Grandma and Grandpa couldn't manage the maintenance on that property any longer (including clearing DEEP snow on their LARGE driveway), they sold the property (maybe in the late 1970's). I recall that my cousin John Greco was somewhat interested until he found out the asking price was about $100,000, which was on the steep side back then. The property definitely had LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION. Both the home and surrounding property were eventually sold and the home demolished to allow the installation of the now existing road that provides access to homes now located higher up the mountain. 

Grandma and Grandpa bought a large condominium that was near a golf course and lake in what is NOW called Forest Glenn Condominiums at 1330 South 2100 South in the Sugarhouse area of SLC. They both got on a real health kick, boiling their own distilled water to drink, believing that fluoride and minerals in water were unhealthy. Considering how long they lived, they might have been right!. 

This is the home where Grandmother died in 1994 at the age of 91. Grandfather gave a wonderful eulogy at Grandmother's funeral, which was recorded and which I transcribed and have posted on her FamilySearch page. I highly recommend downloading the PDF file from the Memories tab and reading it if you have not already done so. https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/memories/KWCD-4RX

I recall attending Grandfather's 100th birthday party in 1995 at a large mountain cabin owned by a friend of Louise. I thought he was still quite spry for his age. He LOVED to quote from memory the poem about expressing appreciation to people while they are alive rather than at their funerals.

I'm uncertain when Grandpa moved in with his daughter Louise at her yellow home located southeast of the 13th East exit of Interstate 80 in the Sugarhouse neighborhood of Salt Lake City, but he lived with her for several years before his death in 2001. My family visited him a time or two during our visits from Southern California. The photo at the top of this blog entry was the last photo taken of most members of my family with him before he died.

At the time of his death, it was reported that he had been the oldest living World War I veteran in the state of Utah.

I encourage other grandchildren to share their memories of grandfather and grandmother Burnett and I will post them here.

Celebrating Grandfather's 100th birthday

This photo is of members of the Marge Hess family who were in attendance at grandfather Ken Burnett's 100th birthday celebration in August 1995.

Does anyone have photos of other branches of the family in attendance at that event? As I recall, Louise was able to arrange for the extended family to meet at large home of an acquaintance up in the mountains.

Famous Burnett

Since postings on this blog seem to be few and far between, I thought I'd break the monotony by posting some information about our most famous Burnett namesake.

http://www.kiwireport.com/behind-the-scenes-secrets-and-facts-about-the-carol-burnett-show-2pp/

Housley family members

Heather Hess Nibley visits Marie Burnett Housley and her son Jay Housley in early December 2017.

Jay wears a lampshade as well as anyone I know. ;)

4441 Emigration Canyon Road

Here is a screen grab of a 1991 video of Kenneth and Melba's former home he built that used to exist at an address of 4441 Emigration Canyon Road east of Salt Lake City. I have some fond memories of spending time at this home. I invite Burnett grandchildren to reply and share memories they have of time spend at this home.

A road now exists at this location. Most of the front yard used to be filled with gorgeous flowers. People going up or down the canyon would stop on the shoulder of the road to take pictures.

This is what the site of the former Burnett canyon home looks like today. It is the winding intersection of Emigration Canyon Road and North Pioneer Ridge Road and is an access road to a canyon subdivision.

Kennth Burnett's counsel to his posterity at his wife's funeral

On June 20, 1993, on the occasion of the funeral of his wife of seventy-one years, while he had his remaining children and many of his posterity gathered together in one place, grandfather Kenneth Burnett, after sharing some of the experiences of their life together, made the following plea to his posterity and the others there assembled.

“But now Brothers and Sisters, let me tell you, love one another. There is so much hate and envy and malice and trouble in the world today. We live in the great day of Satan. Love one another. Get down on your bended knees at night and thank your Heavenly Father for your life and then turn around and try to always keep his commandments and live his laws that you’ll only be happy.  You’ll never get happiness if you do not live as our Heavenly Father has asked us to live. I hope my children, my grandchildren will remember the things I’m telling them here today. I may not be here another day, I don’t know. I’m here on borrowed time; I realize that (editor’s note: he lived another 6-1/2 years to the age of 105). But when I think …when I think…of the blessings of the Lord…and then when I think…when I say love one another…and when I think about the promise that was made to my dear wife, who lies there in that casket…of the temple…eternal life without sin or death.  I know it with every part of my being.

Now when it comes to loving one another, if you’ve had envy, if you’ve had words, if you’ve had problems, if you’ve had trouble with one another, think of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ nailed to the cross on Calvary and in turn the nail prints and the blood running out of his hands and his feet and the spear in his side…and he turned and he said to his Father, “Forgive them for they know not what they do”. How can we have any forgiveness that compares with that forgiveness? I love my Savior. I love what he’s done.  I love for my life here upon the earth. I had the privilege of going into the mission field on two occasions and bringing this glorious Gospel to some of his children on the earth. Now I’ve said too much.  I’ve said a lot to ya.  But my dear children, please, I plead with you, please love one another. You’ll never feel that Spirit I have felt at that time…I’d give all I possess on this earth if I could be in the feeling and possession of that true Spirit….if it ever touches you, you’ll never forget it. I’ve been in the presence of it when it would just be so strong it would almost consume your flesh. Now the Lord bless you.  I love ya. I’ve spoken on this program that didn’t have my name on it. But I want you to know that that dear Sister that lies in that casket…I’ll tell ya…I hope I’ll be worthy to meet her. And when the day comes for judgment…don’t prejudge people, leave it up to the Lord...and when it comes… the judgment day…and I have carried this thought in my mind from long time…and my Heavenly Father says to me, “Now Kenneth, what have you done for my cause on the Earth?” I hope I’ll be comfortable and I hope I can tell him that I tried. I tried on those missions to bring that wonderful message to his children. Now may the Lord bless ya. I appreciate…I know my dear wife, if she could rise out of there she’d tell you the same thing, how she appreciates you coming here and thinking of us. Now may peace be with you in your homes. And again I say to you, love one another. True love, not puppy love. Not sexual love. True love! May that be the lot with all of you. I pray in the name of Jesus Christ.  Amen.”

The person conducting the funeral then came to the podium and made the following statement:

“You of the Burnett family have witnessed a remarkable thing today. Your patriarch has given you great counsel and advice. He has given you his patriarchal blessing. As you have gathered together to pay tribute to his wonderful wife, he has felt the desire to bless you as great patriarchs of ages past have done. Adam gathered his posterity together to bless them at the end of his life, as did the great patriarch Jacob. Lehi, as he grew old, felt compelled to bless his children. He said, but behold my sons and my daughters, I cannot go down to my grave save I should leave my blessing upon you. The words of your patriarch that you have heard today are no less important for your family than Lehi’s were for his. These words should be written down and his testimony should become a part of your Book of Remembrance, your family scriptures, and they should be handed down with your testimonies added, to your children and to their children.”

LaRue Burnett Wilde

2016-07-31

I've been thinking for several months about a memory I have of LaRue Burnett Wilde that I want to document and share with her children and other extended Burnett family members. For any who may not know LaRue Burnett Wilde was the 2nd daughter and child of Kenneth and Melba Burnett. The below photo was taken about the time of this memory.

As best as I can recollect, LaRue, who lived with her family near Kansas City, Missouri, traveled to Bountiful, Utah to visit her younger sister Marjorie Burnett Hess(my mother), who was raising five children as a single parent while her husband, Major Jay Hess USAF was a prisoner of war in North Vietnam. I believe this trip occurred in the early 1970's , between 1970 and 1972.  Perhaps someone else can narrow down the time more precisely. (maybe the same trip as her brother Byron''s funeral in January 1971?) I recall that her visit lasted several days, maybe a week. I know that my mother appreciated and was glad for her visit. 

The most memorable part of her visit for me was her response to an injury she sustained. Someone (perhaps myself) had left a metal toolbox on the floor of our living room near the front door while using a tool to make some kind of repair. LaRue was walking barefoot through the front room and accidentally smashed her foot into the corner of the toolbox, cutting a deep gash in between her 4th and 5th toes. As I recall, this happened in the evening. LaRue decided to try to handle this herself without going to an emergency room.  LaRue and Marge tried the best they could to administer First Aid and bandage up her foot. The thing that impressed me the most was how calm, cool, and collected she was. She had sustained an ugly and painful wound that freaked me out just looking at i, and must have throbbed each time her heart beat. If such an injury had happened to me, I probably would have been howling in pain. LaRue attempted, without much success as I recall, to get some rest that night, with only aspirin or Tylenol for pain relief. When the pain did not subside substantially by morning, she finally opted to go to an urgent care facility to check whether her little toe might be broken. As I recall, no broken bones were found, but she received several stitches to close up the deep gash in between her toes.

So, I remember my Aunt LaRue as a kind, considerate woman with both a high pain threshold and an impressive amount of self control and determination to try to be self-sufficient.

If with pleasure you are viewing any work that I am doing...

I received the following email from my father, Lt. Col. Jay C. Hess, USAF Retired, today, March 24, 2016. He shared with me a poem that will be familiar to most who knew grandfather Kenneth Burnett. I recall grandfather reciting the poem many times at family gatherings or special occasions. I also recall him having the saying about getting old and getting smart on a wooden plaque that hung on the wall of their Emigration Canyon home.

All descendants of Ken and Melba Burnett should have access to this gem. There were many. Maybe someone can add to the list. Like "Too soon oldt, too late smardt."

Command Chief Master Sergeant Marva Harper of West Haven , Utah sent this to me a while back. She spoke at his funeral.

For the 419th Fighter Wing's Outstanding Airman of the year Banquet at Hill AFB in 1998, Marva invited a representative from past wars to attend. Their Commander had just returned from the 1st Gulf War. The asked me to represent Vietnam veterans, They had representatives from Korea and WW II. I asked Marva if they would like to invite a WW I vet. She was surprised one was alive. (By June of 2007 there were only four "WW I vets living. The last died in 2011 at the age of 110.) Ken Jr. brought his dad. He was the hit of the evening. Everyone wanted to have their picture taken with him. Ken recited this poem.

 click on photos to view full size images

 

Burnett entries in Early Mormon Missionary database

This database of LDS missionaries who served between 1830-1930 contains several dozen entries of people with the last name of Burnett who either served missions or were baptized by missionaries named Burnett.

https://history.lds.org/missionary/search?query=burnett

Links to other websites for Burnett family history

My intent is to update this page from time to time with hyperlinks to other websites containing information about Burnett family member events and history:

Kenneth William Burnett obituary
http://www.deseretnews.com/article/print/822089/Obituary-Kenneth-William-Burnett.html


Melba Beatrice Brewer Burnett obituary
http://www.deseretnews.com/article/359692/DEATH--MELBA-B-BURNETT.html?pg=all

Find-a-grave record for Melba Beatrice Brewer Burnett
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=46484899


Amy La Rue Burnett Wilde, memorial
https://familysearch.org/photos/stories/1399304

Obituary for David Brad Wilde (Amy LaRue Burnett's husband)
http://www.deseretnews.com/article/960985/Obituary-David-Brad-Wilde.html?pg=all

Obituary for Tamara Leigh Wilde Conway
http://azdailysun.com/news/local/obituaries/tamara-conway/article_2549e39d-05f1-53d9-829a-620e86c4321c.html

Leland Jay Housley funeral home tribute and condolence messages
http://restland.tributes.com/obituary/print/101467800

I have not been able to find any online reference to Byron William Burnett. Does anyone else have a copy of his birth or death certificate or even a photo of him as an adult?

Photos of Burnett family gatherings

These are a few of the Burnett family gathering photos I have. Please share your photos so they can be posted here, or upload them to a different archive and share the link to the webpage from which they can be accessed.

 May 13, 1951: LtoR=Kent Wilde, Leon Burnett, LaRue Burnett Wilde, Tamara Wilde, 

Melba, Leon, Byron, Ken, Louise Burnett

Some of the Burnett cousins- May 1962
L to R: Cameron, John, Warren, Greg, Michel, Kent, Heather, Melba

1971-01-22 Ken, Melba, Leon, Marjorie, Marie, LaRue, Louise the evening of Byron's funeral

June 1973: Burnett sisters Louise, Marge, Marie, & LaRue @ Ken & Melba's 50th wedding anniversary

1974-09-30 Kenneth Burnett with 12 of his grandchildren on his 79th birthday

1977-09-30 family photo @ Kenneth Burnett's 82nd birthday

Burnett Emmigration Canyon home past its prime and up for sale. The entire front hillside use to be bursting with beautiful flowers. People driving up and down the canyon would pull over to admire the beautiful landscaping and take photographs.

Kenneth William Burnett @ his 100th birthday celebration

Descendents of Marjorie Burnett Hess present @ grandpa's 100th birthday celebration.

I would LOVE to post photos of descendents of Marie, LaRue, Leon, Louise who were in attendance. Please send me those pictures!

Some relatives in attendance at 1994-06-20 funeral for Melba: L to R: Adam Falk, Janelle Wilde, Emily Hess, Marie Housley, Aunt Ruth Brewer. Samantha Johnson, Marge Hess, Louise Burnett Greco, Leon Burnett

Some relatives in attendance at 1994-06-20 funeral for Melba: L to R: Ruth Brewer, Norma Brewer, unknown, Louise Greco, Marie Burnett Housley, unknown, Kenneth William Burnett, Leon Burnett, Michel Greco, Paul's ex-wife?, Lee Housley

2014 Burnett Family Reunion

Louise Greco, with assistance from her son Michel, hosted the Ken & Melba Burnett Family Reunion held on Saturday, June 21, 2014 at Louise's cabin above Oakley, Utah. It was wonderful to see so many Burnett relatives again. Of course there was more than amble amounts of good food and fun, including riding ATVs, a playground swing set, a ground level trampoline, volleyball court, canoeing in the pond, a zip line, a porch swing with a terrific view of the valley below, board games, and of course the most important activity- just sitting around talking with one another.

We were all very saddened by the death of Lee Housley three days earlier on June 18th while he and Marie and their daughter Marsha were visiting their daughter Shauna in Pocatello prior to planning to attend the reunion on their way back home to Texas. Here is a hyperlink to Lee's obituary.
http://restland.tributes.com/our_obituaries/Leland-Jay-Housley-101467800

Here are some photos from the reunion. Click on the photos to view the full size version.

Anyone else with photos are encouraged to share them with Cameron, who will in turn post them here, or to post them in an online photo album and then reply to this blog entry with the hyperlink address.

 All Ken & Melba Burnett extended family members in attendance.(I need help from Burnett, Greco, and Housley family members identifying their kin)

 Children and grandchildren of Ken & Melba Burnett.
L. to R. Row1= Laretta (former daughter-in-law), Louise Greco, Leon Burnett, Marge Hess
Row2= Jay Housley, Lauren Greco, Michel Greco, Debbie Burnett Doxey, Holly Hess Dunn, Heather Hess Nibley, Heidi Hess Johnson.
Row3= Kenneth Burnett, Steven Burnett, Cameron Hess, Warren Hess

Extended family of Marge Hess in attendance
L. to R. Row1= Mike Dunn, John Dunn, Joesph Dunn, Kaylee Hodges, Marge Hess, Chloe Johnson, Heidi Hess Johnson, Sophie Johnson
Row2= Lori Gillette Hess, Alexis Nibley Duffin, Duffin child#1, Heather Hess Nibley, Holly Hess Dunn, Samantha Johnson
Row3= Warren Hess, Matthew Hess, Rob Duffin, Duffin child #2, Stephen Nibley, Cameron Hess, Greg Johnson, Taylor Johnson, Ridge Johnson, Gioia Johnson

Ken and Melba Burnett

 Picture of Ken and Melba Burnett, probably from the mid-1970's.

"Behold, I will reveal unto you the Priesthood, by the hand of Elijah the prophet, before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. And he shall plant in the hearts of the children the promises made to the fathers, and the hearts of the children shall turn to their fathers..." JS History 1:38-39

Cam's November 2002 recollections of Grandfather and Grandmother Burnett (Ken & Melba)

Memories of Grandfather (Kenneth) Burnett

Prior to Christmas 2002, Janelle Wilde Falk requested that Burnett family members document and share memories and stories of Grandfather and Grandmother Burnett to be compiled and shared with extended Burnett family members for Grandmother's birthday on December 24th of that year. These are the memories I shared.

P.S. Does ANYONE have a copy of the compilation of those stories? I don't recall whether they were shared in hard copy or electronic format.

****************************************

   I have some fond memories of our family going to Grandma and Grandpa Burnett's canyon home around Christmas time.  I enjoyed tobogganing and snowball fights with cousins, using the snow blower to clear the deep snow from the driveway, breaking huge icicles from the roof, singing

carols and sharing stories, and of course watching Grandma and Grandpa take out there dentures and ham it up.  I'm glad that I was old enough to remember visiting great-grandmother Brewer at Christmas time.

*****************************************

I have some fond memories of our family going to Grandma and Grandpa Burnett's canyon home around Christmas time.  I enjoyed tobogganing and snowball fights with cousins, using the snow-blower to clear the deep snow from the driveway, breaking huge icicles from the roof, singing carols and sharing stories, and of course watching Grandma and Grandpa take out there dentures and ham it up.  I'm glad that I was old enough to remember visiting great-grandmother Brewer at Christmas time.

One of the memories that I recall of Grandpa Burnett was snow removal on the large driveway of his and Grandma’s home at 4441 Emigration Canyon Road (which home was torn down when the land was sold to a developer who built a subdivision access road where the house use to be).  In between family relocations from one Air Force Base to another, and before our family moved to Germany, I lived with Grandma and Grandpa for part of one school year and rode a school bus down the canyon to a school in east Salt Lake City.

Their driveway was steep and very large, extending from the 2-lane canyon road all the way up to their garage, plus a parkway that branched off from the driveway about halfway up the hill and paralled the front of their home.  This parkway was large enough for two cars to park side-by-side and would accommodate at least 2-3 cars length-wise on the asphalt section, not counting the west end of the parkway where additional cars could park in the wild grasses during the summer time.  The lower part of the driveway was angled up the hillside in such a way that when driving up the canyon road and turning into the driveway, it was necessary to turn very sharply to the left and almost perform a U-turn in order to start driving up the driveway.  It was also difficult turning right from the driveway when leaving and driving back down the canyon.  In the summertime, it was sometimes possible to exit the parkway by driving forward and following the grassy end of the loop back down to the roadway.

Because of the elevation and location of their canyon home, the snowfall accumulation was often two or more feet deep.  Grandpa got himself one of the largest non-riding snow blowers I had ever seen.  It was an auger type machine with powered wheels (with chains no less) and the ability to throw the snow from its large chute for 15-25 feet.  I watched in awe as Grandpa would clear the first swath down the middle of the driveway and marveled how the snow-blower had the power to throw most of the snow past the edge of the driveway even when there was already tall piles of snow on the sides of the driveway from previous storms.  I made certain to keep my hands away from that auger!  Grandpa would work his way from the middle to the edges of the driveway and parkway until all the asphalt was once again visible.  My job was to shovel the relatively small amounts of snow that leaked around the side of each swath Grandpa cut through that deep, world famous powder that makes Utah skiing so fun.  After we returned from Germany and I was several years older, Grandpa let me run the snow-blower once.  Then I found out just what hard work it was to wrestle that heavy snow-blower and clear that entire driveway, despite the power of the auger and the engine driven wheels.  I think it was more fun watching Grandpa do it.

Cameron Marshall Hess
18 November, 2002