Mar. 10, 1917 - Oct. 12, 2016
Date of Service: Oct. 17, 2016
Owen James Lloyd
ALMO - Owen James Lloyd, 99, of Almo, died Wednesday, Oct. 12, 2016.
Dad passed away peacefully and is no doubt happy to be with family and friends who have gone on before him.
He was born in View, Idaho, March 10, 1917, to Willis Jacob and Mary Ann Bowen Lloyd. He was the 4th of what would become a family of ten children. At the age of two, his family moved to Almo, Idaho. He grew up on the ranch, herding sheep and otherwise helping with family chores. He soon developed an interest in all things mechanical and joined the CCC as a young man, where he learned to operate and maintain a variety of road building equipment.
After leaving the CCC camp, he moved to Riverton, Utah, and worked as a truck driver and auto mechanic. There he met and married Mom, Florence A. Wiberg. They were married Jan. 2, 1938, and had a wonderful marriage and many adventures.
They lived in several locations, trying to make a living in the depression years. Soon Jeanette and Merle joined their family as they moved from Utah to Idaho to Nevada, and then to California, where Michael was born. By this time, the world was involved in WWII. Dad was working as a fireman on steam locomotives on the Western Pacific Railroad.
When the war ended, he moved his little family to Almo, where we could grow up in the same great little town he did. He and Mom built a new house and garage, where he ran “Lloyd’s Repair Shop” and Mom worked in the Tracy Store until the children were grown. Dad soon earned the reputation of being able to fix anything.
In Almo, he served as water master, presented the “Sunrise Salute” the morning of the 4th of July and was MC at some of the programs. In his later years, he helped preserve the history of Almo and loved to tell the stories of people and days gone by.
In 1957, he went to Alaska to work for the summer, and for several years after, he and Mother went and worked for the BLM each summer.
Dad also worked as a well driller and traveled to several locations around the U.S. with Mom. Then, wanting another adventure, they moved to Hawaii and developed a small “homestead” on the Big Island. They loved Hawaii’s climate and the friendly people. However, by now they had several grandchildren, and decided to move back to Salt Lake City to be closer to family.
Soon they wanted a warmer climate and moved to St. George, Utah. They loved being there and making many new friends. They remained there until health problems made it necessary to again be closer to family, and they moved to Burley. Mother passed away there in 2012.
Dad and Mom’s marriage was solemnized in the Logan Utah LDS Temple in 1967, and together they served a mission in Tonga and were temple workers. Dad served in a branch presidency in Hawaii, was the High Priest Group leader in their ward in Salt Lake and served in several other church callings.
He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife; and seven of his siblings. He is survived by his daughter, Jeanette (Stan) Lloyd of Elba; son, Merle (Charlotte) Lloyd of Sandy, Utah; and son, Michael (Betsy) Lloyd of Levan, Utah; sister, Venola Archibald of Oakley; and a brother, Zon Lloyd of Poulson, Mont. He has 15 grandchildren; 35 great-grandchildren; and six great-great-grandchildren.
The funeral will be held at 1 p.m. Monday, Oct. 17, at the Almo LDS Church, where family and friends may call from noon until 12:45 p.m. prior to the service. Officiating will be Bishop Jason Tracy. Burial will be in the Sunny Cedar Rest Cemetery.
Arrangements are under the direction of the Rasmussen Funeral Home of Burley.
