Three Kings Grandpa: Albert Edward Rufus Butt

Albert Edward Rufus Butt,
before meeting Leona Cooley.

(The next several blogs will include pictures I found in a box I inherited from my mother, Beatrice Lorraine Butt Hunt Magee.)

Albert with Idella on knee
Sylvan (David West)
between his legs in 1927.

Around Thanksgiving of 2009, I wrote a letter to my family titled: "True Meaning of a Hunt Thanksgiving." In that letter, I mentioned several things for which I was grateful to my Grandfather Butt. I quote: "I’m thankful for my Grandfather Butt. He was so humble and loving – though he was quiet in showing it. He showed it by the time he gave me. He worked hard as a train conductor at Kennecott but got home by about 3 or 4 in the afternoon. So when I was there, especially on Saturdays, he would entertain me. Grandma just wanted me to entertain myself. I did that a lot with building blocks that Grandpa made. They were about three inches long and ¾ inch square. I could build incredible castles and towers. I built the tower of Babel many times. When I was a little older, I would take one of their tennis balls and bounce it off the seven stairs in front of their porch and try to catch it. If it hit an edge, it would take a crazy bounce. I envisioned myself as a pitcher and tried to hit the third stair right in the middle. I got pretty good. I also would bounce it off the garage in back. I played a lot of basketball back there, too. That’s where Clifford, Vivian and David got their start in basketball – the hoop on the double garage.

  Leona Cooley Butt and Albert at summer
cabin in 1945.

Grandpa Butt loved playing cards and played a lot of solitaire. He taught me how to play – his way. He also taught me how to play canasta. We had to have four play that – I think it was Merrill, me, Grandpa and Grandma. I think Clifford played some times, too. Grandma liked playing canasta, too.Grandpa did something special for me – that I will always be grateful for. He worked with me many times on my math. He taught me tricks
 in addition that I still use. It’s because of what he taught me that I ended up winning the prize for being the best in math in my class in fourth grade at Monroe

Leona Cooley Butt and Albert at summercabin in 1945.

Elementary. The girl that I was battling during the last month of school was Lena Newbold. We had to do all the sets at the back of the book without any errors. I was the first to do it. And it was because of what Grandpa Butt taught me – addition, subtraction, division, multiplication. Unfortunately, no one in the family was much good at spelling."

Bert (Albert) in front of
Hotel Bingham in late '20s.

I found a letter that Troyleen, my sister had written to Grandpa Butt, asking him to tell us about himself.I quote: "Dear Grandfather,
I love you a great deal, and I am concerned for you. I would like to keep a record of my grandparents especially yours.
This all my idea, I would like it for my book of Remembrance.
Please tell me about your life even from the first day you were born.
I want you to get well and get out of the hospital, I'll be glad to have you stay with us here.
I do love you, grandfather.
Love, your grandaughter,
Troyleen Hunt (July 6th)

Albert Edward Rufus Butt in the woods outside his mountain cabin in 1945.

Mark replied to my blog and I quote:

"I don't remember seeing any pictures of Grandpa when he was a younger man.

It is great to see them. I see many of Grandpa's features in my son Ryan.
I remember Grandpa teaching my Sister's the Alphabit backwords. I never cared to learn them backwards, because I didn't see any benefit from it.
My sisters loved it. I also remember the blocks. My sisters and I would play with them while Mom, Dad, Grandma and Grandpa would play cards. I think he also liked to play cribbage.
I remember getting to go with him to the Copperton Cafe. I don't remember the name of it. But he liked to go there to eat lunch and chat with his friends. I also remember he would save his coins (change) and give them to us when we came to visit from California. That was a big deal to us kids. I loved spending time with him. He would also come to our home in Taylorsville on a weekly basis to check on us when Dad was gone. Dad had gone to California to work."
Mark McGovern
As I was reading Mark's comments, I then recalled going to Grandpa a couple of times to the store/cafe and also the coins he gave to us kids, too. Thanks, Mark!

 

Albert E.R. Butt, left, in new pair of overalls and

holding a white vadora hat with two or more of his

children on the side of the road.

If you would like to help me, I have some questions to help you just to get the idea of what I would like."

Bert (Albert) and Leona at their cabin
in 1945.

Folded with this letter to Grandpa, was a response written, I think, by him. I quote:
"My Father named me after the kings of England: King Albert, Edward and Rufus.
I came to America in August 1913 with my mother, two brothers, sister and half-brother Jack Smale, who was two (2) years older than I.
We came over on the Steam Ship Laurantic of White Starline. My Father had preceded us over to Upper Galena, a small mining town about 5 miles west of Bingham Canyon, Utah, in May of 1913.

Bert (Albert) and Leona on a trip
with Lorraine & Warren Hunt in 1949.

Went to work as a miner for the U.S. Mining Co. He moved up to a shift forman in 1916 and applied for and recieved (sic) natural ization papers for all the family. He worked for this one company only and retired at age 66.King George the 5th and Queen Mary were the Rulers of England when we came to America.

Leona, Lorraine and Bert at a cabin on trip.

We came by way of Canada. We left the ship at Montreal, took train to Chicago. I can't remember the different cities on route to Bingham Canyon on train called "Bingham Bill." We took horses and buggy up to Galena. Parts of my life as I member (sic) in England. We started to school at the age of 4 years. I was an above average student. I still have awards for good attendance which you may have. I also had a Goldedge Bible as award from the Methodist Sunday School for good Bible student. Church in England was compulsary the same as grade school.

Albert Butt and Lorraine Hunt
at Copperton home.

I remember my first day. We were all taught to thread a needle with colored silk thread then we were given cards with letters and numbers which we were to trace with needle and thread I completed. I progressed well in all my schooling in England also grade school in Copperfield High School at Bingham Canyon. Did not complete Uniior Year.I was only an average boy. I had my ups and downs, good lickings at school and at home for missbehavour (sic) and sluffing.
Miss Annie Simmons was wonderfull (sic) 3rd and 4th grade teacher. Mrs. Sherman 7th and 8th stern and dominant. She pounded the subject into your head made me tops in spelling, aritmetic (sic), reading.
(Next part is written by someone else in long hand.)
Writing or penmanship and English. Best Teachers. My Best school chum 

was a boy named Byson Thomas, We went all the way from the 3rd grade to the 3rd year high school. We always done our home work together. We also went to all the school programs and dances together. He was killed in the Lark Mine fire. He was one of the boys that came to see us when we arrived at our first home in America. In the early days there were no cars. We used to make our own wagons also skis and bobsleds. We built a cabin high in the mountains. We used to go up and camp during the summer holidays. We got odd jobs at about 12 years old. I had a job milking cows for $2.00 a week. 5 cows morning and night.

At 14 years I was driving a delivery wagon for a store at $90.00 a month and at 16 I went to work for Utah Copper Co. as a track man."

Grandpa Butt with Warren
Lee Hunt at his home
in Copperton in 1954.

Albert Edward Rufus Butt, born Feb. 12, 1904,
died May 25, 1973, at the age of 69.