Last Updated on March 5, 2022 2:02 pm by Steven
George Andrew Loosle 1858 – 1937
George Andrew Loosle
Memories of Norman Deverl Loosle (1910-1995 (Son) as told to Dixie Dahle Loosli (Granddaughter) written in the Spring of 2004.
This document includes information about George Andrew Loosle and Anna Dahle Loosle, and their three sons, George, John (Jack) and Norman. It is not included in any other document.
Normans birth, death and marriage to my mother, Veda Barson, are definitely dates for me to remember. These and other facts are chronicled in various church records and other publications.
But- Norman and his family members, Annie Janette and George, and brothers John (Jack) and George share a variety of rich urban fact, and legends.
I will recount as many of those as I recall hearing my father tell:
Earlier years for the family were lived at “the Ranch”. This is the 80 acres south of Clarkston, Utah on the “bench”.
The boys played in the mountains, collecting sea shells, arrow heads and “chokecherries” for grandmother.
The boys played cowboys and Indians- Uncle George always wanted to be the Indian. Daddy laughingly complained that “John always won, even when he didn’t”.
Their home was wooden, with a large front porch and two bedrooms, one for the boys. They felt well cared for.
The boys went to the Clarkston School, where they attended both elementary and junior high years. For high school, they were later bused to North Cache, All the boys were active in school sports. Norman received the “Plant Award” for best all-around athlete. He lettered in football, basketball, baseball and track for the three years that he attended. That award is a small gold amulet with a “real” (very small) diamond. He cherished it.
After moving to town (to a shed), later behind the now-standing brick home) was their original home in town.
Behind them, at the ranch, they left a cannon-ball from the Morrosite War-and newly born (or still born), twin brothers, all buried.
In town, the brothers spent much of their time at church, especially again, involved in sports and church activities.
Norman, along with other M-Men, played basketball, even into Idaho. Norman and the Clarkston team took a train as far as Ogden, South, and North over the Teton pass. The boys had apples to eat, spent a cold night on the stopped train, and were “dug out” from snow the following mornings.
Later teen years, Norman and John spent time with the Loosli’s in Ashton, Idaho, working in the beets. This allowed them money for school. Uncle George had met Aunt Gladys, and soon was married.
Soon the brothers went their separate ways. Uncle George was married and farming in Clarkston, Uncle John married Aunt Reha and had finished school. They had moved to Ithaca, New Work. Norman was finishing school, then married Veda and moved back to Clarkston, also to farm.
Uncle John had a Masters and was working on his Doctorate. Norman had finished his Masters in “Business Law” at the University of Utah. (Business Law” is now an MBA with a law emphasis”) While at the U., Norman was one of five trained to compete as a Rhodes Scholar. Dan Eastman, later become a prominent car dealer in Salt Lake City, and Cal Rampson, later became Governor of Utah. Both were Norman’ friends and school mates in the Masters’ program.
Back to Clarkston. Norman was in his early 30’s. I had not arrived…so he adopted Marvin as his own. When Darrell came along, he had two “little men”. He referred to them as “my boys” and called Darrell “the “little Englishman” because Darrell, at an early age, spoke with his Mothers’ English accent.
Norman took his boys to Logan, to buy school shoes at Wilkinsons’ Department store. The then treated them to ice cream and cherry-coke. (Aunt Gladys was angry with the “Coke” part). They also visited Uncle Garrett Dahle, a brother to his mother, Annie, and was (an older gentleman). Marvin asked if he was “as old as dirt”. Darrell piped up “or are you as old as God?” Everyone laughed and thought the boys were so cute! My Dad always referred to old people, after that, as “old as dirt’! or maybe God!
Daddy also told of how he would pick Marvin, a little school age boy, up to go on the tractor with him. Darrell would invariably hear the tractor, and run behind, a small boy yelling “I want to farm too!!” (In his English accent)
I was born, the boys grew up, the remainder of Uncle Georges’ children were born, and time moved on.
IN 1995, AFTER DADDY DIED, AND I WAS SORTING HIS BELONGINGS, I FOUND OLD SCHOOL PHOTOS OF MARVIN AND DARRELL, TATTERED AND TORN, OBVIOUSLY CARRIED IN A WALLET FOR YEARS. (Capitol letters included by compiler in both paragraphs)
I also found a pencil box Grandpa had brought from Switzerland, Normans’ Plant Award, AND THOSE PHOTOS, WERE TUCKED AWAY IN THE BOX, as a prized possession, I think.
OTHER REMEMBRANCES
- Always a large garden
- Aunt Gladys made dolls from cucumbers, and when they would wrinkle in the sun, they became “old people”.
- Grandmas favorite treat was raw honey from a honey comb.
- The new brick house, built by Grandmothers’ brother, cost $6,000, and was paid for by the boys.
- Grandmother, for over a year, cooked for and fed a Dahle family that had no means of support.
- Several years later, she did the same for a Christiansen family with 12 children.
- During the depression, parsnips were plentiful, and Grandmother, boiled broiled, and fried them. At a reunion in the 1980’s, Daddy and Uncle George and John joked about how much they disliked parsnips.
- When Grandfather died, the relatives from Switzerland lamented he had died “so” young. The Loosli family in Switzerland was supposedly long-lived?
- Grandfather would take a buggy to Cache Junction, ride the train to Salt Lake City, and buy books from the Sam Weller bookstore. I have many of those, with Grandfathers’ signature inside. Most of the books dealt with “Phrenology”, the early form of our new “Psychology”. My degrees are in Psychology! I knew as a child that was my interest. My Grandfather died before I was born, but left us an undeniable print on my soul.
- Grandfather was always very kind to his horses, and cattle. He chastised those in town, to their face, if he felt they were mistreating their animals. Grandfather always had a “good dog” as a companion, and fed them warm milk morning and night.
- Grandfather wore a black cape. He also rode a bicycle. My mothers’ brother, Aaron Barson, told me several years before he died, that he remembered our grandfather riding a bike with his black cape flying in the wind. He also noted Clarkston people thought grandfather was a bit “odd”. He said he thought grandfather was brilliant or/and a genius.
- Grandfather read and wrote without schooling. He read early books on Phrenology. I would like to assume my Uncle Aaron was correct in his assumption!
- My mother, Veda Barson, was educated at the old B. Y. in Logan, and at Henninger’s Business College. She was deputy county clerk, and Farm Bureau “woman of the year”. Before marrying my father, she was a secretary to Utah Governor Herbert Maw in the 1940’s. She later, in the 1970’s, worked for General Owen, in a Civil Defense Position at Utah State University.
- My father, Norman, lived alone in Clarkston until his death in 1995. He farmed his entire life. (Compiler’s note- During those years Dixie drove from Salt Lake City to Clarkston on most weekends to spend with her father).
- My parents were not married in the Temple until after their death. Thanks to John Jr. and Dora Loosli, I’m sure they were with John and Dora that night in Florida.
- And I’m sure the three brothers are together now, laughing and remembering…
Submitted by Marvin W. Loosle (Grandson)
To this day, I still remember my Grandfather Loosle. I can still picture him with his mustache and sitting on his lap for an extended time while he was in the chair at night outside their bedroom in their two-bedroom Clarkston brick home. I do not remember when he died, but I just remember missing him. Since I was born February 8, 1933 and he died January 14, 1937, I was not yet four years old at the time.
By Darrell K. Loosle
xxxxxx@xxxxx.com
FAMILY HISTORY INCLUDING PICTURES, DOCUMENTS, AND STORIES CAN BE FOUND IN FAMILY TREE ID# KWZB-25B
THIS DOCUMENT INCLUES MEMORIES AND RECOLLECTIONS -BY HIS THREE CHILDREN, A GRAND-DAUGHTER, AND A GRANDSON.
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