As Sons of Utah Pioneers we truly stand on the shoulders of others who have built communities before us. A most successful 2023 year in our chapter saw us hosting the National Encampment convention. We volunteered service hours then attended the rededication of the St. George Temple as part of that noteworthy event. In 2024 we will focus on the word “Dedication” in memory of the first pioneers who settled this valley with faith, hope and sacrifice.
We invite you to join us as we rededicate to be pioneers in our time and build the next generation of pioneers to honor our heritage.
Roy Taylor,
2024 Chapter President
The December meeting of the Cotton Mission Chapter of SUP will be held Tuesday, Dec 10 at the Washington City Recreation Center. Meet and greet at 5:30pm, dinner meeting starts at 6pm. Dinner is $15 per person.
The November meeting of the Cotton Mission Chapter of SUP will be held Tuesday, Nov 26 at the Washington City Recreation Center. Meet and greet at 5:30pm, dinner meeting starts at 6pm. Dinner is $15 per person.
The October meeting of the Cotton Mission Chapter of SUP will be held Tuesday, Oct 22 at the Washington City Recreation Center. Meet and greet at 5:30pm, dinner meeting starts at 6pm. Dinner is $15 per person.
The September meeting of the Cotton Mission Chapter of SUP will be held Wednesday, Sept 18 at the Holmstead Ranch. Meet and greet at 5:30pm, dinner meeting starts at 6pm. Dinner is $15 per person.
The August meeting of the Cotton Mission Chapter of SUP will be held Tuesday, Jan 27 at the Washington City Recreation Center. Meet and greet at 5:30pm, dinner meeting starts at 6pm. Dinner is $15 per person.
The June meeting of the Cotton Mission Chapter of SUP will be held Tuesday, Jun 25 at the Washington City Recreation Center. Meet and greet at 5:30pm, dinner meeting starts at 6pm. Dinner is $15 per person.
The May meeting of the Cotton Mission Chapter of SUP will be held Tuesday, May 28 at the Washington City Recreation Center. Meet and greet at 5:30pm, dinner meeting starts at 6pm. Dinner is $15 per person.
The April meeting of the Cotton Mission Chapter of SUP will be held Tuesday, Apr 23 at the Washington City Recreation Center. Meet and greet at 5:30pm, dinner meeting starts at 6pm. Dinner is $15 per person.
The March meeting of the Cotton Mission Chapter of SUP will be held Tuesday, Mar 26 at the Washington City Recreation Center. Meet and greet at 5:30pm, dinner meeting starts at 6pm. Dinner is $15 per person.
The February meeting of the Cotton Mission Chapter of SUP will be held Tuesday, February 26 at the Washington City Recreation Center. Meet and greet at 5:30pm, dinner meeting starts at 6pm. Dinner is $15 per person.
The January meeting of the Cotton Mission Chapter of SUP will be held Tuesday, Jan 22 at the Washington City Recreation Center. Meet and greet at 5:30pm, dinner meeting starts at 6pm. Dinner is $15 per person.
Our annual Scholarship Fundraising dinner will be held Wednesday September 12 this year. (Note that it has been changed from our traditional Tuesday to Wednesday to accommodate our speaker.)
The location will be at the fabulous Holmstead Ranch, owned by Monte Holm located near Baker Reservoir.
Our speaker will be Elder D. Glen Esplin. Elder Esplin, a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints served with his wife, Helen, at the St. George Temple Visitors’ Center and historical sites. His topic will be “The Tabernacle and The Temple – Why Were They Important to the Early Settlers?”
The meals and facilities have been donated so that all the dinner fees can go towards the scholarship fund. In addition we encourage those who are able to help sponsor the individual scholarships by contributing $250 or more.
Directions to the Holmstead Ranch:
Travel north on SR-18 through Veyo. Just past mile marker 24 take the Baker Dam turnoff and follow the paved road east about 2 miles to the ranch. We will have additional signs and arrows on the road. Although the road is paved there are some narrow turns so drive slowly and with caution.
Our August activity will be an overnight trek to
Nearby Motels:
At the June 19 dinner meeting we will enjoy a short message about the purposes of the Sons of Utah Pioneers, followed by the presentation and discussion of a film called “My Father’s Highway.”
The DVD is a documentary about the construction of I-15 through the Virgin River Gorge. It is the epic story of an impossible road built on an improbable route and the people who overcame every obstacle, even death, to make sure it happened. It is an amazing part of Dixie’s history.
Invite your friends to come join us.
WHERE:
WHEN: Tuesday, May 15th, 5:30pm mixer, 6:00 dinner meeting
COST: $14 for dinner. Pay at the event, or in advance
Our speakers for the May 15 dinner meeting will be Mark and Scott Gubler, who will be discussing the fascinating search for Nephi’s
The Gubler's have two major hypotheses:
They are trying to
If our exciting and successful “Southern Utah History Symposium,” co-sponsored by our chapter and the Hurricane chapter, has whetted our appetites for more of the same, get ready for another one on May 12 sponsored by the SUP National Headquarters.
The National SUP symposium is themed “Stability in a World of Change” and will feature five presenters, dinner, and a keynote address.
Jack and Rosemary Wixom
Salt Lake City Temple President and Matron will be the keynote speakers.
The event will be held at the Canyon Rim Stake Center, 3051 South 2900 East, Salt Lake City.
Presenters include:
Note: Sunday dress is appropriate for this event.
Our annual presentation of scholarships to high school seniors will take place on April 17 when students, parents, and counselors join us at our dinner meeting. One of two meetings each year where we dress in "Sunday best ', this is the culmination of our fund-raising efforts for the year. Individual donations from a number of chapter members along with money raised through the Fall dinner at Hyrum and Gail Smith’s Gunlock ranch are combined to provide up to nine scholarships.
Scholarship winners from Pine View, Dixie, Desert Hills, Snow Canyon, Enterprise, Millcreek, and the Success Academy will each give a short statement prior to receiving their award along with a specially prepared medallion.
Many thanks to Cheryl Ann and Roy Taylor, who head up the scholarship essay program and awards ceremony. Thanks as well to Dean Terry, Hyrum Smith, Charlie Clayton, and Sid Atkin on the Fundraising committee and the many generous donors.
Meet at the
1:00 pm - Donald Hinton: The Rising Tide of Mormonism in Red China
Dr. Donald Ray Hinton was born in Hurricane, Utah and married to Ada Lu Fuller. They have 6 children and "almost" 25 grandchildren. He served a mission to Hong Kong as a young man and as mission president there in 2000-2003. Dr. Hinton received his Ph.D. in Interpersonal Communication and Oral Interpretation from Southern Illinois University; was professor of Communication and coach of the Dixie College/Dixie State University Forensic Squad for 25 years, and served as 6 years as Department Chair, and 11 years as Dean, including a short time as Acting Vice-President of Academics.
2:00 pm - Jim Rhoades: There's Gold in Them Thar Hills
James A. Rhoades is married to his wife Kathy. Together they have 8 children and 22 grandchildren. He is the great-great-grandson of Thomas Rhoades who was the "gold connection" between the Ute nation and Brigham Young. He is a former Seminary Teacher and renowned guest speaker at EFY and Youth for Freedom and works as a Life Coach.
3:00 pm - Wayne Hinton: Mountain Meadows Massacre (A New Look)
Dr. Wayne Hinton grew up in Hurricane, Utah and earned his bachelor's and master's degrees in history from Utah State University, with a Ph.D. in history from BYU. He served as chairman of the History Department for 18 of his 38 years of teaching at Southern Utah University. He has authored many books and articles and received many awards. He has served as stake president and is a former president of the Cedar Chapter of the SUP.
4:00 pm - Monte Holm: From Lost Boy to Mission President
Monte Holm is married to his wife Lisa and has 6 children and 16 grandchildren. They currently reside at the Holmstead Ranch north of St. George. He learned early the value of hard work, and at a very young age became financially independent. He is the co-founder of World Financial Group of the U.S. and Canada. He co-authored the Legacy Planner with Hyrum Smith. He was awarded an honorary doctorate from Dixie State University and served as president of the South Carolina Columbia Mission.
5:30 pm - Hyrum Smith: Th purpose of the Year 1830
Hyrum W. Smith is a distinguished author, speaker, and businessman. He is the co-founder and former CEO of Franklin Covey and has spent over three decades empowering people to effectively govern their personal and professional lives. He combines wit and enthusiasm with a gift for communicating compelling principles that incite lasting personal change. He is married to his wife Gail and have 6 children (5 living) and 20 grandchildren (18 living)
Lynne is..
a photographer, artist, musician, actress, therapist, historian, and author
A native of Farmington, New Mexico, she graduated from Brigham Young University with a degree in music and art. She moved to Southern Utah in the 1960's and raised five children while operating the Lynne Clark Photography Studio. Lynne also has a Master's Degree in Marriage and Family Therapy and has had a private practice since 1990.
Lynne has also been a high school choral music teacher, has taught art and photography at Dixie College, taught Gospel Doctrine, and is a past member of both the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and the Southern Utah Heritage Choir.
Lynne is also the author of Images of Faith, a 400-page pictorial history covering 150 years of St. George, Utah. It includes 1200 photographs from the Lynne Clark Historical Photograph Collection - which contains over 20,000 images.
All dinner meetings at the Washington Community Center. Meet and Great 5:30 pm - Dinner6:00 pm $14 per person.
Music by "Bar None". Sunday Dress. Watch this space for more information.
All dinner meetings at the Washington Community Center. Meet and Great 5:30 pm, Dinner6:00 pm $14 per person
Dr. Richard G Whitehead was born and raised in St. George, Utah, and was a graduate of Dixie High School, Dixie College and Brigham Young University. In 1970, he graduated from Creighton University School of Dentistry in Omaha, Nebraska and then completed an oral surgery internship at Mercy Hospital in Baltimore, MD. He then returned to St. George where he practiced dentistry and oral surgery for 26 years. Dr. Whitehead, a fellow of the International Congress of Oral Implantology, was one of the pioneers in the field of dental implants and transplants in Southwestern Utah and is credited to have placed some of the first dental implants in the state. In 2001, the Utah Dental Association presented him with their Distinguished Service Award.
He has been active in community affairs in St. George serving on the City Council, as president of the Rotary Club and as a board member of the Chamber of Commerce. In 1995, the St. George Area Chamber of Commerce recognized him as Man of the Year. He was a founding member of the board of directors of Strata Corporation and the Heritage Arts Foundation (Tuacahn) and a member of Zions Bank Southern Utah Region Advisory Board. A strong believer in education, Dr. Whitehead is an emeritus member of the Creighton University School of Dentistry Advisory Board. He is past president of the Dixie College Foundation, the Alumni Association, co-founder and member of the Dixie College National Advisory Council and former member of the Dixie College Board of Trustees. In 1971, he became actively involved in raising funds for Dixie College. Until 1988, he volunteered his time and then was hired on a part time basis to chair the Dixie College Capital Campaign.
In 1993, he became a full time employee of Dixie College still practicing dentistry one day a week. In 1997, he left dentistry to devote his total attention to Dixie College where he served as the executive director of institutional advancement. During his tenure at Dixie, he headed efforts that raised in excess of $30 million. On May 5, 2000, at Dixie College’s commencement exercises the Utah State Board of Regents awarded him an Honorary Doctor of Humanities degree. He, his wife Launa and their six children are all graduates of Dixie State College. Richard currently serves as interim president at Southern Virginia University.
Alder was president of Dixie College in its pre-university days from 1986-1993 and is a past president of the Mormon History Association. He co-authored “A History of Washington County” with former St. George Mayor Karl Brooks in the 1990s and recently compiled a number of addresses from the lecture series named for Brooks’ historian mother, Juanita Brooks, in a book called “Honoring Juanita Brooks.” He is also the author of “A Century of Dixie State College of Utah” and the co-author of “All That Was Promised: The History of the St. George Temple.
His new book “Dixie Saints” deals with social history of southern Utah and is gleaned from 425 interviews with common southern Utah people, instead of historical figures. Rather thanfollowing the political perspective, the narrative in this book focuses on the everyday lives, interests, and activities of farmers, ranchers, teachers and otherswho built up our community in its early years.
The book draws from 425 interviews, recorded on about 650 audio tapes, beginning in 1968. The interviews focused on the “third generation” of Dixie Saints, mostly born in years between 1890 and 1910. The interviewer, Fielding Harris conducted the interviews, financed by Melvin Blomquist. Transcribing of the tapes was not finished until many years later in 2013. That is when Alder began delving into ways to make the stories into a book.
Our dinner meeting on September 19 will be our annual fundraiser for the scholarship awards. Once again it will be held at the beautiful Eagle Mountain Ranch in Gunlock, which is owned by Gail and Hyrum Smith. After the dinner, colorful St. George resident and prominent doctor, Dr. Craig Booth will speak to us.
A fifth-generation resident of St. George, Craig is a graduate of Dixie High, Dixie Junior College, the University of Utah, and the University of Utah Medical School. After a two-year residency at UCLA-Harbor General Hospital, he returned to St. George where he served the community as a general practitioner, delivering over 2,500 babies and 200 gall bladders and affectionately earning him the nickname “Doc Booth.” He later became the first medical director of Dixie Regional Medical Center and president of the medical staff, retiring in 2016. Craig served on the Dixie Regional Medical Center’s governing board for 20 years and the Intermountain Healthcare board for three years. He was a founding member of The Village Bank and the St. George Exchange Club.
Craig served a two-year mission in the North Central States for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. He and his wife, Maureen, later served as president of the Arizona Phoenix Mission from 2002-05. They have five children (all graduates of Dixie College) and lots of grandchildren.
Directions to the Smith home: 150 West 1400 North Gunlock, UT. The ranch is located on Gunlock Road about 2 miles North of the town of Gunlock.
Register now for the Sons of Utah Pioneers annual National Convention to be hosted by the Centerville Chapter September 14-16, 2017. With the theme “Bulding Pioneer Strength for Tomorrow” the convention will include speaker Glenn Rawson and special tours to the following places:
For questions contact Alden Richins 801-296-1794.
Click HERE to download the registration form. Mail registration form to: Centerville SUP, PO Box 1252 Centerville UT 84104
Thursday, Sept 14
Friday, Sept 15
Saturday, Sept 16
Our August 15th Dinner Meeting features guest speaker Dennis Holland, older brother to Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the 12 Apostles.
S. Dennis Holland (left) with an actor in the California Living History production of "More Precious than Gold: Contributions of the Mormon Battalion".
Dennis was born and raised in St. George, Utah. His great great grandparents were among the first wagons into the Valley of the Great Salt Lake with Brigham Young and were called by Brigham Young to settle St. George and what is now Carson City, Nevada. Growing up in St George and having this ancestral heritage has given him his love of LDS pioneer history.
An alumnus of Dixie College, he enjoyed a successful career as a pharmacist before retiring and beginning many years of service to the church and western history. He has served as LDS director of Public Affairs, and as mission president of the California Living History Church Service Mission.
He is author of the book, “Sierra Saints” A Brief history of the Mormons in Western El Dorado County from 1847 to 1997, and was involved in the production of the video produced by the LDS church, “More Precious Than Gold, Contributions of the Mormon Battalion,” which was a gift from the LDS Church to the State of California for the Commemoration of the Sesquicentennial of the Discovery of Gold in California. He was part of the delegation that presented it to then Governor Pete Wilson.
Dennis was also a driving force for the building of the popular interactive Mormon Battalion Historic Site Visitor’s Center in Old Town San Diego.
