John Blaine Peacock Life Sketch

John Blaine Peacock Life Sketch

John Blaine Peacock

John Blaine Peacock was born in Sterling, Utah to Calvin and Arsenath Edwards Peacock on 4 May, 1914. Here he grew up in that rural utopia of hills and fields and creek banks to explore. A child's wonderland! He attended grades 1-8 in the two-room schoolhouse in Sterling, after which he came to Manti High School. Here he was known as "Johnny Blaine" and still is by many. During the Summer between his junior and senior year, John enrolled at CMTD (Citizen's military training Camp) at Fort Douglas. After graduation from Manti High School, he went on to Snow College, then L.D.S. Business College in Salt Lake. But going to school was not his favorite thing to do. He was anxious to get in to the real business world to try his wings. Already he had organized insurance companies in the following counties: Beaver, Iron, and Juab. He had gone to St. Joseph Missouri,where he secured a sales franchise for St. Joseph's aspirin. John's father owned and operated the general store, service station, and post office in Sterling, so he gained business experience at an early age there. (He may also have picked up some rough language from the"spit and whittle" gang that congregated around the pot-bellied stove in the store to warm their shins and discuss current events, both national and local...but mostly local!)

At the time of the installation of the water system in Sterling, John's father put up the collateral for the bond and the project went forward. John was timekeeper, paid the men, and kept the books. He checked elevations and depths of water lines to make sure they were ready for inspection by Clyde Whitlock, county surveyor. All of this had given him excellent business experience early in his life.

At the time of his marriage to Mary, John was business development representative for Ford Motor Company. His outgoing, genial nature, coupled with his capacity to remember names and faces, was a great asset in his work, which required him to travel over several western states.

As the years passed, he became distributor for the Continental Oil Company, then purchased and operated the Manti Theater. Later John became a turkey broker, selling poults throughout the state in the spring, and buying and marketing the finished bird in the fall. During World War II, he and Jack Nielson established the first poultry eviscerating plant in the West, and supplied turkeys to the armed forces overseas. John sold turkey feed for Ranchway of Denver, and eventually became on of the major turkey growers in this area, with herds near both Manti and Sterling.

His business ventures included purchasing the franchise for Rex motor bikes, which were manufactured in Germany. The bikes were imported to the U.S. through the port at Galveston, Texas, near Houston, where John on a number of occasions not only to arrange for shipment of the bikes to Utah, but to set up dealers in the Houston area.

In about 1955, he in partnership with Paul Anderson, purchased the Dog Valley Mine in Salina Canyon. They promptly changed its name to Sun Valley Coal, installed diesel electric plant to mechanize th operation, since coal cars had previously been horse-drawn. They purchased new mining equipment, new drills, built a new tipple, and bought diesel trucks capable of transporting 25-30 tons of coal each. They delivered their own coal to the gypsum plant at Sigurd ($5.65/ton, delivered), and to Kennecott Copper plant at Ruby Nevada, for $9.0/ton; now coal sells for more that $40.00/ton. Eventually john sold his share of the mine to Paul, who, with his boys, continued to operate the business for some time. It has changed hands several times since then, and recently was sold for $5,500.000.00.

Talk about a varied life! In the 1960's John worked with Cox Construction Company and Jim Wardle Construction. But his favorite hobby was, and still is, to seek elusive riches through prospecting. He still searches for valuable rocks, ores, and metals. His most lucrative find came when he posted claims on uranium lands. He sold some claims for $1,000.000; others he traded for stock in other uranium companies. He organized Texas Uranium Company and United Uranium. He and Richard have posted claims at various sites in Utah and Nevada--spots that show promising deposits of lime, gravel and sand. These materials are essential for making cement, and line is used in the smokestacks as "scrubbers" in help purify the air.

In connection with the presentation of the Mormon Miracle Pageant annually, John was, for years, "chairman of the chairs." This was before the Pageant organization purchased its own chairs, and John was responsible for borrowing 10,000 chairs each year, putting them in place, keeping track of them all, and returning each to its proper owner. One year when he drove to the small community of Goshen, Utah County, to return a load of chairs, he was greeted with expressions of thanks that the chairs had been borrowed, for their ward chapel had burned down, and ward members had been able to save absolutely nothing. Now they had at least the chairs!

In the early 1970's John went to work as purchasing agent for L & M Trailer manufacturing plant in Ephraim. In July of 1973 he sustained injuries from a fall which forced his retirement at age 59. He was also released as a member of the bishopric where he had served as counselor under Bishop Lynn Nielson for only a short time.

John's sociable, gregarious nature has qualified him, on a regular basis, as "ex-officio" fund raiser for the ward. He has successfully solicited funds for the Boy Scouts, always knowing how to approach just the right people. He helped raise money to re-roof the chapel, and has acted as chairman of the country store at the ward bazaar. It should not be forgotten that for many years he was the jolliest, best looking, most loved Santa Claus that ever existed in the Manti South Ward.

When he is converted to a cause, John contributes most generously, both of time and money. In 1957-68 when the new South Ward was under construction, he sent his Sun Valley Mine diesels to Salt Lake to haul the bricks to the construction site in Manti. He has been known, in a subtle way, to borrow a needy neighbor's car long enough to take it to the service station where he filled it with gas.

In June of 1975, John underwent major surgery twice at Utah Valley Hospital, Provo. The first abdominal operation was performed by Dr. W. G. Dixon to correct what was thought to be a bowel obstruction, but no such obstruction seemed to exist. John's condition continued to worsen. After two weeks, Dr. Douglas Kohler operated and removed his gall bladder, whereupon his condition immediately improved. He had been admitted to the hospital on 23 May, and was released on 1 July. Since that prolonged hospital stay, John has returned for eye surgery; cataract removal and a lens implant, then later for prostate surgery. Recurring bouts with diverticulitis has put him back in the hospital several times since then, but he has no learned pretty well how to avoid that problem. Nevertheless we all recognize the blessings of the Lord that have made possible his recovery on these occasions

John has been election judge for the Republican party at November elections. He also has driven lease cars for Bruce wherever they need to go. Such trips have taken him literally from the Canadian boarder to Mexico, and to the Pacific Coast. As the boys have needed help building their homes, John has always been on the job. Indeed, he is handy-man, and helper to all.

Easy-going, unruffled, genial...John takes pleasure in visiting his host of friends. He reads prodigiously, adores and indulges his grandchildren, and knows that he is blessed with the finest family in the world.

Dr. H. B. McQuarrie wrote the following poem for John's birthday, May 4, 1980, John's 66th birthday:

In days of yore he brought his sons

To this high cold range for game.

He taught them how to carry guns

And, while shivering in icy wind, to aim.

In perilous trials they came to know,

When skies were dark and tempest tossed,

How to survive the frigid snow

And find their home again when lost.

When storms were spent the air was clear

With vast expanse of sky.

His spirit had a kinship here

And would find the wings to fly.

Deep into his memory sank

The time they passed without a care,

Combing the mountain's wooded flank

For signs of movement hidden there.

The Frost-bit leaves are bright this year

And old familiar tracks are on the land.

Would that all his boys were here

And another hunt was planned.

But they are far in alien hills

Trailing game of unknown kinds

And ply forever those ancient skills

He, by camp fire, kindled in their minds.

From The Jorgen Madsen Family History-1994