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Joseph Valentine Lee and Laura Brizzee Lee
Compiled by, Arlene Hepworth
Joseph Valentine Lee was born 1886 the son of Joseph Bracken Lee and Mary Ann Mecham. Laura Brizzee was born 1891 the daughter of Henry Willard Brizzee Jr. and Esther Ann Catlin. Laura and Joseph met at the home of Laura’s sister, Viola Dale, in Grouse Creek, Utah. They were married on June 22, 1915 and sealed in the Salt Lake Temple October 6, 1915.
Joseph and Laura started their life together in Grouse Creek, Utah where they had three daughters, Edna and Ella, twins and Idella. They moved to Yost, Utah to run a sawmill there as Joseph’s father and grandfather had done before him. There they were blessed with their first son, Norman. When a new stake was formed they were asked to go to Malta, Idaho to assist in its organization. While there three more daughters were born to them, Myrtle, Grace and Elise. During that time Joseph located his sawmill in Black Pine.
In June of 1930 Joe and Laura and their family moved to Heyburn, Idaho. They moved the sawmill to the Elba Canyon and later to Heyburn. It was in Heyburn that their last child Arlo, was born in 1931. From 1919 to 1934 Joseph ran the sawmill which was only seasonal work. In the winter he did carpentry work.
Joseph was often away from home running the sawmill while Laura stayed at home and tended to the home and children. Joseph realizing that he needed to be with his family more gave up the sawmill business. Many homes, and the church and some business were built from lumber from Joseph’s sawmill.
Joseph and Laura made several trips to Arizona to see Laura’s family, often not having any roads, but blazing their way through the desert.
Joseph and Laura both served faithfully in their church callings and were loved by those in the community. Laura served as the Jr. Sunday School Coordinator and the children loved her. Joseph made toys for the nursery and blessed the lives of the children. Joseph and Laura were both mild mannered people. You never heard them raise their voices or fight or cuss.
In 1960 Laura went with her nephew and his wife, Wesley and Helen Stoddard along with their daughter, Arla Cumbie and grandson, Randy Cumbie in a twin-engine airplane bound for Arizona. They were going to celebrate the birthday of Laura’s sister, Lulu Brizzee Stoddard Douglas. As they approached the mountains over Nevada a down-draft pulled the airplane down and they crashed about 15 miles southeast of Ely. They were rescued two days later. During those long hours there were many prayers for their safe return. The children in Laura’s Jr. Sunday School even gathered in a circle on the playground at school and held a prayer for her. They were all hurt badly except Randy. But each one of them healed after much recuperation.
Laura died in 1965. Joseph remarried and lived until he was 94 years old. He died in 1980. They both lived good lives, leaving a good family and legacy of faith.
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Photo courtesy of, Arlene Hepworth
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