RICHARD ALMA TRUMAN
reflections by his son Richard J. Truman

Richard Alma Truman, sixth child of Albert Henry Truman and Florence Matilda Bowler, was born September 27, 1903 in Mesquite, Nevada.  Albert Henry Truman, Florence. and their children Elizabeth Matilda, Esther Maria, Mary Jane, Albert Henry Jr., and Mable Hill moved to Mesquite in 1901 and by 1906 were living in Gunlock, Utah where Rodney Jacob Truman was born.

Sometime after 1906 when Richard Alma was three years old, his father homesteaded acreage five or six miles northwest of Veyo, Utah.  This was known as the Magotsu and later called the Truman Ranch.  Long hours and hard work must have been the order of the day to survive.

Richard Alma Truman was baptized September 1, 1912 near his ninth birthday.  It is thought he attended grade school in Veyo, Utah and may have attended two years of high school in St. George. Utah.  Albert Henry Truman purchased a house in St. George at 1st East and 2nd South.  It was later traded for a house on (300 West, next to) Diagonal Street, which served as a home, a hotel, and a hospital.

At the age of eighteen, Richard Truman and others in the area went down to work at the Hupton Gypsum mine.  It was there that he met and married Gaylie Belle Sprague on January 10, 1925.  The Hupton Mine closed in 1925, and they moved to the Blue Diamond Gypsum Mine, southwest of Las Vegas, Nevada.  During 1927, Richard worked the mine and Gaylie cooked and waited on tables.  In 1927, or 1928, Richard joined his father and brothers.  They pursued a joint farming venture with Lou Pulsipher that provided lots of work but little income, most likely board and room.

On March 14, 1925 Richard and Gaylie's first son, Richard J., was born.  A daughter Alice, was born April 30, 1928.  Both were born at Albert Henry Truman's big house on Diagonal Street In St. George Utah.  Two other sons were later born in St. George: Grant Sprague on October 8, 1932 and Ronald Alma, on January 8, 1937.

In 1928, the Truman Ranch was sold to Zeary Hunt.  Albert Truman and his sons Richard and Rodney purchased clay, sand and alkali acreage to the east of St. George.  It had a house, some cabins and two hand pumps which was known as the Evergreen Service Station.  This gas station business was a disaster for the Truman family.  There was more barter than dollars exchanged and never enough money to pay for the gas and oil.

A truck was purchased to supplement the poor economic performance of the service station during this lean period.  The income was supplemented with potatoes obtained from Enterprise, sorted in Sr. George and then peddled in Las Vegas, and possibly Los Angeles. The truck needed repairs and the blow torch exploded, nearly killing Rodney and Richard.  Richard was burned severely and was lucky to have survived.  He was at the Diagonal Street residence “hospital” for many days.  Life was hard during this time for the Trumans as the economy of the nation had hit rock bottom due to the 1930 depression.

During 1933 the gas station was leased and the next proprietor was not successful.  The station was sold in 1935, or 1937 for back taxes.  In 1933 Richard and his brother Rodney went to Nevada and hauled road construction material.  Richard spent 1934 - 1935 working in Nevada on various road construction jobs.  In 1935 Richard worked near Cataldo, Idaho.  He bought his first car, a Buick, in Spokane, Washington in May of 1936.  He purchased his second one in the summer of 1938 -- a LaSalle from Jim Cashman in Las Vegas.  He enjoyed that car; it would flat out fly at 120 mph.

His oldest son, Dick, cannot remember seeing, or being in church with his father.  However, in February 1937, Richard took out his endowments and was sealed to his wife in the St. George Temple.  This resulted from the efforts of Elmer S. Bowman, Bishop of the Logandale Ward.  On two occasions Richard rented living space from Elmer Bowman, who was a farmer and owned the general store and a truck.  There must have been an attraction between the two men.  Perhaps, among other things, were their interest in trucks.

June of 1939 found Richard and Rodney ninety miles north of Elko, Nevada doing a road job.  Richard was in Carson City, Nevada resurfacing the road east of that city in the latter part of 1939. The early fall was majestic.  He enjoyed the weather, health, and work.  As the weather changed, his health changed.  In November Richard had boils, and Gaylie had a broken leg.  It seemed like the boils would come and go -- the body trying to abort the lead which ultimately replaced the iron in the blood and asphyxia occurred.  Richard Alma Truman died December 25, 1939 in St. George, Utah from tetraethyllead poisoning which had accumulated over the years from siphoning gasoline from 55 gallon oil barrels used as storage containers.  He war buried December 27, 1939 in the Logandale, Nevada Cemetery.

His son Richard remembers his father as being not more than five feet ten inches tall and weighing 165 pounds.  He had high cheek bones, brown hair which he combed straight back.  He liked and enjoyed people and had self-confidence.  He was basically honest in his dealings with others, charitable toward his fellow men, and was a good husband and father.

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GAYLIE BELLE SPRAGUE
(not available at this time)
 
 

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Created 15 Aug 01
Updated 14 Sep 07
Owned and Maintained by Paul E. Price