Chadburn Family Reunion write up about Fred Chadburn July 10,1982

   Fred Samuel was the sixth child born November 14, 1886. As in any pioneer family, as the family grew, so did the house. In those days, when a room was added on and the walls were to be plastered, you didn't run down to the hardware store and get the plaster or the wallboard. You made your own. Father Henry made his own plaster from lime. One of the ranch hands would help him keep the pit fires burning night and day to boil the lime. One day Ben and Fred were alone, the older men had left to water the horses for a few minutes. Ben and Fred were playing near the pits and little Fred fell in. Ben ran to the house to tell mother. She returned and pulled him from the pit badly burned. She worked frantically to save little Fred, removing the clothes from his burnt body and breathing life into his mouth. But Fred was blessed to survive and he did. For two years he could not see or speak. He eventually gained his sight, but always had a speech problem. Years later, his brother George said he always felt this was the reason Fred stayed away from Church. he was afraid to speak in front of people, feeling embarrassed at his speech.
   Fred grew to do the things necessary for boys that age in those days. He used to water the horses for the stage coaches and help around the farm. He helped his mother wait on folks who stayed at the ranch. As he grew to be a man, he did many odd jobs. He planted trees for the other farmers, he broke horses.
   Fred settled in Central for a while, but moved to Veyo, being one of the first settlers there. When Fred moved to Veyo it was all cedars and black rocks. Over the years he planted hundreds of trees. In the early days he supplemented his income trapping but as the trees began to bear fruit, ends were easier to meet. Fred would comment, "I growed everything from sage brush to pine trees." He spent all of his years on that farm and sold his fruit right at the door.
   Fred's first wife, Tina (Parthina)died at childbirth. Fred was heartbroken as he loved her dearly.His first son Arnold, was raised by Tina's parents as Fred could hardly raise an infant and work at the same time.
   His second wife, Harriet, was quite a bit younger than Fred. She was 17 and he was 31, when they were married. But Harriet had taken quite a fancy to Fred. She knew he was a good man. Harriet would come by and tell him, "I'll make a good wife, Mr. Chadburn. I'm a good cook and I'll take good care of you." Well they had 10 children in the little house in Veyo. And all were raised to be honest people. Fred was proud to be honest and proud that his family was, too. Just after the youngest, Venna Ann, was born, Harriet became very ill. She had been advised not to have anymore children and this last birth had been rough. Harriet was near death, her body poisoned by urea due to a kidney failure. Fred had a dream that the angels were looking through his and Harriet's books of life. He was pleased that in his book it was written, "Fred Chadburn was and honest man." They were talking about the fact that it was a shame to take Harriet and leave the baby without a mother.
   As Harriet fell worse, Fred asked his brother George, to start making some arrangements for him. He was too grieved to do them himself. George and another man visited Harriet in the hospital. While they were there, the nurses told them she was about to go and they should see her quickly. George felt moved to bless her to live and finish raising her family. She began to recover and was sent home shortly after to her family. She lived to see her youngest grow to 12 years, before being killed in an auto accident.
   Fred was married a few years to Bernice Pendleton and spent his last years with his fourth wife, Cleora Horseley, who died a few months after his death.
   Fred had been sealed in the St. George Temple to both Tina and Harriet and all his children were sealed to him. A humble man, he always knew his most prized possession was his honesty. he lived to be fifteen days short of 93. He lived from the pioneer days to see the space age. His family is still growing, 40 grandchildren and 46 and counting great-grandchildren living from coast to coast. There is a granddaugther in Washington, D.C., a grandson in Lost Angeles, a granddaugther midway in Dallas. Most of the family is still in Utah, Arizona and Nevada.