A BRIEF SKETCH OF THE LIFE OF MY FATHER HYRUM DON CARLOS CLARK

by Heber D. Clark, Nov. 29, 1948

Father was born in a log-cabin on the side of Big Creek, Farmington, Utah on February 13, 1856. He was the 6th child of his Mother, Mary Stevenson. His Father, Ezra Thompson Clark, had two families with 21 children. There were 5 girls and 14 boys who grew to maturity and all the girls and 11 of the boys had families. Two grown sons died while on missions, unmarried. At this time (Nov. 29, 1948) there are 1155 known living descendants. Of these, 170 are Father’s.

Father was named in honor of Hyrum and Don Carlos Smith, two of the brothers of the Prophet Joseph who knew and loved Ezra T. Clark.

“HyD” (pronounce this “High-Dee”) as he was affectionately called, herded sheep and cows and fed the molasses mill with sugarcane, did general farm work, attended school in winter and played ball, horseshoes, marbles, wrestled, boxed and rode wild horses. He attended the University of Deseret a few months and learned surveying and enjoyed elocution, later taking parts in home dramatics. He also worked with Government Surveyors some but his Father had lots of work and kept his boys very busy on the farm and at the Grist Mill at Morgan. Cattle of the beef type, Shorthorns, was both Father’s and Grandfather’s specialty. Father would say: “You can have your horses, but give me the cattle.”

Ezra Thompson CLARK

Standing six feet tall of large bony frame, long arms, high forehead, black curly hair, deep blue eyes, roman nose, wearing a heavy red beard and with a rather proud erect carriage, he made a lasting impression upon all. A man of few words, very serious, deep in meditation, stern in discipline, a great reader of good books, well trained in the Gospel, sound in judgment able to give good practical advise at anytime and himself a natural pioneer; saving of money, able to do without most things, with strong affection and sensitive disposition; very jealous of his rights, liberal in donations, close trader and buyer with a natural gift of accumulating lands and cattle with which he was very loath to part. It was natural for him to rise late, start for meetings late, start any work late and always to work on many hours after everybody else had quit for the night. Many times he traveled all night to be home; he loved home and family; no horseflesh was too valuable to travel on, if the animals could stand the strain. 

A natural missionary, Father went on three missions and sent six sons on missions at his expense. He would be willing to mortgage his last bit of property to see a boy through his mission. On his 80th birthday Father, on a mission in California, was given a great banquet at which President Heber J. Grant and wife attended and he had pictures with them. He and

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