AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF ANDREW RONALD PRICE
Written in 1999
I was born in St. George, Utah on November 2, 1916 to Andrew Bird McArthur Price and Annie Charlotte Rencher Price. I was the second of three sons born to my parents - Blaine Rencher, who was born in 1915 and Stanford LeGrande, who was born in 1918. Stanford died in 1920 and Blaine died in 1928, so I was raised most of my life as an only child; and without a father, as he died just before my 8th birthday. The death of my brother, Blaine, had a profound effect on me. He was such a wonderful brother and I really did miss him. I was 12 when he died, and because I had such a hard time dealing with it, Uncle Mace (my mother’s only brother) took me to the ranch in Grass Valley for a week. He was there for me when I needed him. Since my father had died when I was so young, I don’t remember him very much, so Uncle Mace was my father figure and cared for me in my hour of need.
In April 1943, my mother married Freeman Roy Williams. He was a wonderful man and treated me very well. Even though he died in 1952, I had known him for many years before he married my mother and had great respect for him.
Until I was 15 years old, I would spend my summers at the Rencher Ranch in Grass Valley which is just north of Pine Valley, Utah with my Grandpa and Grandma Rencher. These were wonderful times for me as I lived with cousins, aunts and uncles as they visited the old homestead of my great-grandfather Umpstead Rencher. While I lived at the Ranch, we had jobs to do but my Uncle Mace Rencher was so pleasant to be around. There were always lots of cousins there and I especially liked the horses and riding them. We always had chores to do every day so it wasn’t all ‘fun and games’. I have great memories of riding the area around Grass Valley, associating with the families who lived there. I enjoy it very much when I return to that Valley though it isn’t very often any more.
I finished my elementary schooling in St. George, Utah and graduated from Dixie High School. I played basketball for Dixie High and that was something I enjoyed very much. I went to Dixie College where I participated in the first football game played at that school - in fact I made the first touchdown ever made in Dixie's illustrious history - could have been by accident but it happened anyway though I didn’t think too much about it at the time. I always had such good friends and enjoyed associating with them. I enjoy watching the Utah Jazz play basketball and have always been a great fan for the teams at Dixie College but can’t go see them play anymore because of my eyesight. We bought seats when the new Burns Arena was built so we had season tickets every year and so enjoyed going and cheering them on.
When I was still young I played American Legion baseball and then on the town team where I played 3rd base before moving to 1st base before retiring in 1948. During my active playing years I attended the Chicago White Sox baseball camp. My interest in baseball has stayed with me and I enjoy watching teams play. Though now (1999) I am unable to attend a game because I can’t see well enough to keep track of the ball. The Atlanta Braves and Chicago Cubs are my favorite teams and have been for years.
In May 1942 I was drafted into the Army and spent the next four years in the Army with early training in Alabama, Florida and Tennessee, then moving onto Arizona and California before going overseas into the Pacific Area to fight the Japanese. I saw intense fighting on Peleliu Island, went to Leyte Gulf, in the Philippines and then on to Japan. I was on the ship headed for Japan when the “Cease-Fire” was signed but was in Japan until December 1945 when I returned home.
My experiences in the Pacific have had an impact on my life and I would not want to live them over again; however, I made some good friends and I have cherished their friendship these many years. I hear from some of them at Christmas time but they are getting fewer and fewer as our ages are catching up with us. My dear friend, Louie Grimaldi, from Michigan, has remained that dear friend and we have talked to each other a few times the past few years. I am more interested in talking about my experiences now than I have ever been. I visit with my son, Paul, often as he spent many years in the Army and we can talk ‘Army’ language and he knows a little of what I am talking about. My long-time friend, Eugene Gregerson, and I remember a lot of our experiences both in the War and in our ordinary (civilian) lives. We have been friends since we were in high school. In fact, we double-dated with our ‘to be’ wives before we both married them.
I worked for Premium Oil Company before going into the service and afterwards for a short while before going to work for the City of St. George. I worked for the City for 28 years, retiring as Municipal Engineer in December 1978. We did a lot of work trying to find water for the City and succeeded in drilling wells near the Gunlock Reservoir to add to the water system. We improved the city with curb and gutters, sidewalks and surfaced roads. The City built their first golf course, “The Red Hills”, while I was Engineer.
I have served in the Elders Quorum of the St. George Third Ward as Counselor and Secretary, and was also a Home Teacher for many years. I also served as Secretary in the MIA and served as the Home Teaching Clerk. I really did enjoy my association with the members of the Elders Quorum and the activities we had. I especially enjoyed cooking ‘spuds and onions’ for the Elders Quorum Pine Valley outing every July with Theo Pendleton and Kline Adams. Though I find it too difficult to attend church meetings now (can’t see and can’t hear well enough to enjoy it), but I have so enjoyed my association with the members of the St. George Third Ward - great people.
I have been Commander of the local American Legion Post and have participated in their activities. I especially enjoyed being a member of the group who participated in the ceremonies for departed Comrades at their gravesites. I am proud to be a veteran and proud of our flag and what it stands for.
I married Barbara Truman 19 June 1948 in Las Vegas, NV, and we were sealed in the St. George LDS Temple 15 June, 1965. Our two children, Paul Eugene and Patricia Anne have brought much joy into my life. Paul was brought into my life when I married Barbara and I adopted him and I have never regretted it for he is such a good man and has been a credit to his mother as well as to me. He, with his wife, SusAnne, have given us three grandchildren - Trina Louise, Trevor Lewis and Tauna Lynne all of whom we love very much. Trina and Trevor have lived with us while going to Dixie College so we feel close to them. We visited with Paul and family while they were stationed in Germany and also in Texas, where he was stationed at Fort Hood. Sadness came into our lives when SusAnne died July 23, 1989. We welcomed Paul’s second wife, Stephani, into our lives August 10, 1990.
Patricia has brought much joy into my life and with her husband, Frank Ford, she has given us four grandchildren - Jason Price, Julianne, Emily and Spencer Sullivan Ford. When she left her husband, she moved from Salt Lake City to return here in St. George where she lived for a couple of years before returning to Salt Lake City. We now have 3 great-grandchildren - Jason has two girls and Emily has a little boy.
I have always enjoyed gardening and keeping up our yards. I grow a big garden most years and like to share my harvest with neighbors and friends. I am fussy about my lawns and enjoy having them look good. I spend all of my time now in the yards, though I must say that I am beginning to feel my age and don’t move as fast as I once did, In fact, I think I have all of the symptoms of ‘old age’. No only have I enjoyed gardening, but also I have enjoyed fishing and hunting which I have done until just the last few years. The highlight of my year was to go into the Slaughter Creek area (near the Utah/Nevada line) to hunt every fall. I also enjoyed golfing and felt bad when I had to give that up when I couldn’t see well enough to play. The Red Hills Golf Course was my favorite place to play. When I retired from the City I was given a ‘life-time’pass to Red Hills.
In 1969, Barbara and I bought a lot on Kolob Mountain (about 1 mile south of the Reservoir) from Owen Wright and built a cabin on it. We would go up every weekend and work on it after having someone put up the ‘shell’ and inside studding. We would go up on Friday afternoon, work all day Saturday and come home Saturday night. For a couple of people who had never done this type of work before, we didn’t do too badly. Our cabin had 3 bedrooms with a bath and a large living/dining room and kitchen. We had a large deck which we enjoyed. When our families came to visit we had a great time cooking a Dutch-oven dinner for them. After I had major surgery in 1986, the elevation of 8000 feet was too high for me so we sold and bought a home in Pine Valley. We loved living in Pine Valley during the summer and I raised a good garden there. After I lost most of my eyesight it was difficult for us to keep two places so we sold our home in Pine Valley and spend our time keeping up with our home in St. George.
For a number of years I had a wonderful mare, Lady Reb, and raised colts from her. This was something that I really did enjoy. I kept one of her horses, Stormy, and don’t know which one I liked the best. I would ride often in the area west of St. George in the red rock country where we had some ground and that is where I kept my horses. I would spend a lot of time there taking care of them. I felt bad when I had to sell that operation, but there came a time when I had to do it.
In the summer of 1973 I broke my leg while I was on Kolob. I had gone over to the pasture to doctor my horse, Reb, when she brushed me with her head and I fell on my right leg. It took a long time healing and then in 1974 I had to have the right knee replaced because the break had gone up into the knee. I have gotten along very well with that new knee and it hasn’t given me much trouble. In 1986 I had to have surgery (twice -once in Salt Lake City and then in Los Angeles, California) for an Acoustic Neuroma back of my right ear. From that surgery, I lost all of the hearing in my right ear and my sight in the right eye except for tunnel vision. I have now lost all of the sight in my left eye to macular degeneration and it has been a handicap to me not to be able to see very well or to hear very well. Had to give up my drivers license a few years ago and that was difficult for me, also.
I feel that I have had a good life and have had some wonderful experiences.