January 4, 2021

Personal Link to Six Generations

 Walter John Butt (Holding Warren Lee Hunt, age 2, at his son's home in Copperton, Utah.)

Birth, 26 April 1879, Countess Wier, Devon, England

Came to Utah in 1912 to work in a mine in Upper Galena, about five miles west of Bingham Canyon, Utah. His wife and children came from England the following year on SS Laurentic, a British ocean liner of the White Star Line. He worked his whole career for U.S. Mining Co. He and his family received their naturalization papers. He died 3 Feb. 1953, in Salt Lake City, Salt Lake County, Utah.


Albert Edward Rufus Butt in Bingham

He was born 12 February 1904, in Okehampton, Dev., Eng. He, his mother and siblings came aboard the SS Laurentic via Montreal, Canada, then traveled by train to Chicago, Ill. Once in Salt Lake City, they rode the train "Bingham Bill" to Bingham Canyon. Lastly, they took horse and buggy to Gelena and reunited with father Walter.

Albert Butt with his second and youngest daughter, Beatrice Lorraine, and his youngest son, Clifford, at their home in Copperton, just below the Bingham Canyon mine. Albert started work for the Utah Copper Co. as a trackman, but eventually became a train driver, doing hauls from the mine to the smelter in Magna, Utah.
He is my grandfather! 
Albert died 25 May 1973, in Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah, when I was in college at BYU. He was the kindest of grandfathers, and took time to teach me solitaire and canasta, plus a lot of math skills.

Beatrice Lorraine Butt Hunt

Lorraine was born 10 December 1929, in Midvale, Salt Lake, Utah. She is my mother!

She went to school in Bingham, including Bingham High School, which was just a few blocks north of her home in Copperton, Utah. 

She married Warren M. Hunt on 14 June 1947, when she was 17 years old. Her first son, Merrill, was born Aug. 1, 1948. Warren was a torpedo man in the U.S. Navy aboard a submarine during the later part of WWII. The most important job in Mom's life was taking care of us kids and keeping the house looking good -- plus canning as much produce as she could. The older kids were part of the gardening and canning.

Warren Lee Hunt, Lorraine's second son

(Born Feb. 27, 1950, in Murray, Salt Lake City, Utah)

This photo is of me (Lee) in December of 1967 when I was a madrigal for Granger High School. I went on a mission to Central America for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in March of 1969, subsequently serving in Managua, Nicaragua; and San Jose, Costa Rica. However, I came home in September of 1971 when I was diagnosed with bone cancer. I lost my left leg to the scourge. I went back to college and graduated from BYU in December of 1973, starting work at the Deseret News Dec. 26, 1973. I retired as Chief Copy Editor in 2008. 

I look forward to the time when I have two strong legs like in this photo from back in the late 60s -- more than half a century ago. For 50-plus years I have occasionally dreamed of still playing basketball -- and sometimes flying! Maybe someday! 
The next generation in this family line came after Lee and Nancy L. Westwood married April 9, 1976. We have five children (lost Justin at birth). Here we are on our front porch in West Jordan, Utah. Merrill, my older brother, built our home. In back are: Nancy and Jared. In front are: Heather, Lee, Nathan, Jason and Lena. We lived in West Jordan for about 20 years. Both Heather and Lena had their wedding receptions in our beautiful backyard.
Jason Lee Hunt 
(Born Dec. 18, 1979, in West Valley City, Utah) 
Jason is pictured all ready for Halloween wearing my sailor suit, which was tailored by my mother, Lorraine, out of my dad's (Warren Merrill Hunt) old WWII sailor suit. I loved wearing the suit to school at Monroe Elementary. I kept the uniform after Nancy and I married, and Jason wore it a few times in West Jordan.






My four children Heather, Lena, Jason and Jared, posing with legendary BYU Head Football Coach LaVelle Edwards after a spring fan practice at Cougar Stadium in Provo, Utah. 


Justin Gabriel Hunt
(Born Dec. 26, 2011)
Jason Lee Hunt poses with his son, Justin, before heading to church, Webb City Ward, in Missouri.
Justin is the first of my grandchildren to bear the last name Hunt. He's very smart and adventurous. Justin and Jason look very similar in their toddler and boy  pictures. He also looks a lot like me at his age. We hope and pray that good things are in store for him!
From my great-grandfather Walter when I was pictured seating on his lap to my grandson, Justin, who has sat on my lap countless times, completes six generations in which I have experienced!