A SHORT LIFE HISTORY OF AFTON BARRETT AND LOLA REED BARRETTA SHORT HISTORY OF AFTON BARRETT AND LOLA CAMPBELL REED BARRETT Afton Barrett was born 25 May 1911 in Ashton, Idaho to William Arthur Barrett and ‘Mary Adelia Weatherman. He later moved with his family to Pocatello, Idaho. ‘Afton graduated from the University of Idaho in June 1933. He stayed there another year taking some courses and working for the WPA. He moved to Troy, Idaho for his first teaching position. He had been a star basketball player and had received a scholarship in basketball at the University of Idaho. The next school year, 1935-36 he ‘was offered the position of head coach and teacher at Ammon High School. He lived in a Rooming Fiouse with three other single teachers. He bought a new Chevrolet car. He was a very young looking teacher and was 6 feet 2 inches tall. He had black wavy hair and was a quiet, soft spoken man. Lola was bom 9 June 1917, the first child of Amold and Annie Melvina Judy Campbell. She was born at the Pine Mountain homestead. Amold and Melvina had ‘settled on 320 acres and with the help of their families had built a small shanty on it. She was bom with only the help of a neighbor and her father Amold, there to assist. Melvina started into labor early and Amold's younger brother, Lewis was sent on horseback to Ozone, a distance of about 15 miles, to get word to Melvina's parents. William Aaron and Mary Aun Ward Judy came immediately. They had to cross Williow Creek. It was high water and they had to take the horse across first and then bring the buggy across. Everyone made it safely across but the new granddaughter was waiting when they arrived. They stayed a few days and then returned home Amold's parents and his 14 year old sister, Miranda, came 10 see the new family. Miranda stayed with Amold and Melvina for two weeks taking over the major care of the new red-headed baby girl. Lola was born at a time when times were hard and making cash money was almost impossible. Her father was not interested in the farming trade, He took his young family to many towns and cities and worked at various jobs to try to support them. He worked as a farmer, motion picture operator and truck driver. Five more children were born to Amold and Melvina giving Lola two sisters and three brothers. Evelyn was born 12 July 1918 at Ammon, Vonnie, 10 January 1920 in Idaho Falls, Arnold Junior 21 August 1921 at Roberts, Idaho, Ver! William 18 June 1923 in Escalante, Utah, and Glen Basil 17 March 1925 at Shelley, Idaho. Lola's father then chose to leave his duties as a father and husband. He left home without notice and was never Seen again. He made no contacts to his wife and children or his parents and brothers and sisters during the rest of his life. (Note see Amold Campbell history)‘Melvina supported the family as best she could with such little resources left to her. ‘They moved to Ammon to Grandpa and Grandma Judy's. Lola worked with her mother picking strawberries and potatoes. She also tended her brothers and sisters. A few years later her mother married Albert C Reed and stability finally came to her life. She excelled in school, was a natural musician, playing the piano and accordian, both by ear and by note. She leamed to sew and made many of the clothes for herself and her sisters. She graduated from Lincoln Grade Schoo! in the same year as her sister Evelyn. She had stayed back a year because of the many moves she had made. She then attended Ammon High School. She was 18 when she entered her Senior year in 1935 Her Home Room teacher was a man by the name of Afton Barrett Lola's first social contact with Afton was on a fall hayride. Lola said that Afton expressed to her that his intentions were to marry her. For Afton to date Lola was a bit difficult. It was against the school ruics for teachers to fraternize with the students. But by Thanksgiving they were going steady. There was a great deal of curiosity around the Reed house in Lincoln as their older sister was bringing home a teacher and propective husband. Afton would bring in his student's papers and do his work in the Reed's front room while visiting Lola. Afton and Lola double dated with Evelyn and Max Smith. ‘Max's father was Superintendent of the Schoo! Board and Max said it was surprising that his father never found out about Lola and Afton. They went as four, to lots of picnics, but Afton could not take Lola to any school dances. Ammon had no gymnasium and had to practice in other school gyms or in a room at the school with no baskets. Ammon was nearing completion of a new gymnasium. A day came when the subfloor was in and baskets were up. A game was scheduled before a home crowd with Rigby. The local fans were disappointed as Ammon lost. That evening ‘Afton had seen Lola home and was returning at about 2:00 a.m. and found the new gymnasium on fire. He tried to investigate but had to flee in haste to escape injury. The gym bumed to the ground. The school board in Ammon was progressive and they started right over again on the same foundation. Afton and Lola were married at Afton’s parents home in Pocatello 21 May 1936. The marriage was performed by Bishop Leo Edgly. During that summer, Lola let Afton go to northern Idaho and fight in the blister rust to earn extra money. Lola stayed in Lincoln with her family. Afion came home for a week and then took a job with Art Krebs in Pocatello for 12 weeks. For the next three years Afion and Lola lived in Ammon living ina different apartment each year ‘Afton was instrumental in improving the athletic leagues in that area. He introduced six-man football that became adopted throughtout the area. In the school years of 1938- 39 and 1939-40, Afion's teams became league champions in both sports, basketball and football ‘The Barretts were happy in Ammon, it was a nice community, a new gym and they stayed from 1936 to the spring of 1940. Teachers salaries were not being raised and‘Afton noted that many referees were earning more than he did. Afton took a teaching position in Park City, Utah under Principal Eamest Nelsen. Earnest had been a room ‘mate with Afion in Ammon before he and Lola were married. Their first child, William Bernell was born 11 March 1939 in Idaho Falls, Idaho. ark City was small town nestled in the hills of Utah with cold winters. The town was built around a railroad track and in the town center you were obliged to ascend a walkway to cross to the other side of the track. In a nearby canyon coal was mined. Many of Park City’s residents were miners. Lola and Afton lived in an upstairs apartment downtown. While Afton was teaching school, Lola was helping Bernell to grow and walk. On weekends Lola and Afton liked to go for drives to nearby towns, including Salt Lake City. Afton was popular with his students. They wrote many fine things in his copy of the school yearbook. Afton was hired as a teacher and taught zoology, world history, and civies. He was asked later to help out with the Jr. Varsity Basketball team. In this he was so successful and well liked that when Max Wamer was hired by Provo High School to be their head coach, Afton was hired to be the head coach at Park City for the 1941-42 school year. Lola was a good homemaker and cook. She used some of her liesure time making sketches and drawings and applying color oils to them and to black and white pictures. ‘Afton was offered the head coaching job at Bear River High School at Tremonton, Utah. Here he coached basketball, football, and swimming. The school board had sought living quarters for Afton’s family and came up with a closed out wing of their hopital. There was a frosted glass pane in the bottom of Bemnell's bedroom door. He could see the light in the hall. The hospital was only a block from the town center and it ‘was convenient for Lola and Bemnell to walk to go shopping. Bemell was at an exploring age and caused some embarassment to his parents. He kept disturbing the groundkeeper's adjustments of the lawn sprinklers, filled the mowing machines gas tank with water. ‘Afion and Lola attended church. Many non-working days were spent taking drives. Since Afton and Lola had been married they had been taking pictures with a 35mm ‘camera and had been recording many things of interest and treasure. While here in ‘Tremonton they had begun printing their own pictures from their negatives and making primed enlargements and developing them as a hobby. Verl and Glen Reed, Lola's brothers stayed with them one summer and worked at jobs in Brigham City, Utah. Several pictures have been preserved of a picnic and swimming trip that Lola, Afton, Bemell, Verl and Glen took to the Brigham City Wild Bird Refuge. ‘Afton stayed in Tremonton for one year. ‘On some occasions they drove back to Idaho Falls and Pocatello fora visit. The ‘Superintendent of Schools in Shelley, Idaho offered Afton a raise in pay to be their head coach. The Barrett's were a little anxious to be closer to home anyway, so Afton accepted.