- This is a brief sketch of the life of Reva Barney Brown. More stories may be found in the Memories section.
Reva Barney was born in Annabella, Sevier County, Utah, on November 28, 1917. She was the sixth of nine children born to James Henry and Effie Malinda Nebekere Barney. She had two older brothers, Von and Dewite, three older sisters, Lora, Elma, and Hazel, and three younger sisters, Vivin, Edith, and Martha.
Of her childhood, Reva wrote: "My first recollection is the four youngest sitting on Papa's knees and on the arm of a wooden rocking chair rocking and singing for an hour before we were put to bed. The songs he taught us, I think he made up as I have sung them to people who have never heard them. Then on other nights he taught us to play the harmonica. In school, they had a fifth and sixth grade harmonica band, but all of us kids entered it in first grade as we played so good.
"Mother was a lady. I never heard her use slang or swear and she held her temper so well. I told Von once I wished I could control my temper like Mother. She was indeed a fine lady.
"Us kids would be playing out on the lawn and she would come and say, 'Come in now.' We would groan, 'Mama, we were having fun!' She would always say, 'But there's an old gentleman coming up the road,' so in the house we went. Believe it or not, I was in the seventh grade when I learned an old gentleman was a bull. We lived a protected life."
Reva's father was a school teacher and then turned to farming. The Barney children learned to work at a young age. They raised a large garden as well as sugar beets which they thinned, hoed, and topped. They worked in the sugar beet fields for other people in nearby towns, too. They had Holstein dairy cows that needed to be milked night and morning. When the men were not around or needed help, Reva and Hazel did the milking. They took turns helping with the housework, too.
The Barney family were faithful members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Reva was baptized and confirmed a member of the Church on June 5, 1926, when she was eight years old.
Reva attended elementary school in Annabella, then completed her education in Monroe, Utah. Her father died of a brain tumor on April 12, 1935, when Reva was 17 years old. This was a very difficult time for the Barney family and money was scarce.
Reva met Cazell R. Brown when he came to live in Annabella with his great-grandpa and great-grandma Brown so he could attend high school in Monroe. His family lived in Greenwich, Utah, and there was no high school there. Cazell was very bashful. Reva saw him doing something and she showed him how to do it faster or better and they started talking. That's how they started going together. Cazell was a year older, but they were in the same grade. She helped him and they both graduated from South Sevier High School in 1937.
That summer, Reva visited the Brown family in Greenwich. Cazell's mother did not like Reva and did not want Cazell to marry her. Cazell and Reva decided to elope and drove to Salt Lake City on Labor Day weekend. Everything was closed for the holiday, so they drove back to Richfield. They got married at the courthouse on September 1, 1937.
The Annabella news in the Richfield Reaper reported that the ceremony was performed by LaRell Nebeker, Justice of the Peace. It also said, "Mrs. Barney entertained at a dance and shower Tuesday evening in honor of the young couple. Many friends from neighboring towns attended the dance."
The Koosharem news also mentioned the wedding: "Many friends and relatives from Grass Valley attended the dance and shower given in the Annabella Amusement Hall in honor of the marriage of Miss Reva Barney, daughter of Mrs. Effie Barney of Annabella, and Cazell Brown, son of Mr. and Mrs. Ken Brown of Greenwich."
Cazell and Reva made their home in Magna, Utah, for most of their married life. They became the parents of three daughters, RaeZell, Charlene, and Judy Ann, and one son, Richard Kay Brown. RaeZell was born in the hospital on the third floor of the bank building in Richfield in November, 1938.
When RaeZell was in the first grade, she went the first part of the school year in Magna and the second part of the year in Annabella. World War II was going on and Cazell thought he was going in the army so he moved the family to Annabella. They lived in a two-story home just south of his great-grandparents' home and a block east of the church.
When RaeZell was part way through second grade, he learned that he did not have to go in the army, so the family moved back to Magna and RaeZell finished second grade there.
Cazell worked for Kennecott Copper and the Browns lived in a house on the west side of Magna for a few years. Then they moved to a house on Main Street and from there to a house south of Cyprus High School which became their permanent home.
Reva worked at a facility in Magna making bullets for the army for a time. Cazell took a second job delivering mail for the post office. He worked at Kennecott at night, came home and delivered mail, slept for a few hours, then went back to Kennecott.
On September 1, 1954, Cazell and Reva received their endowments in the Salt Lake Temple and were sealed to each other for time and eternity. Cazell was also sealed to his parents that day.
In about 1959, Cazell and Reva were planning a trip to England on a Kennecott excursion. Cazell got a physical examination which showed he had prostate cancer, fairly advanced. The doctor gave him three months to live, but said to go ahead and go to England and if he died there, his body could be shipped home.
Cazell visited an old Indian friend from his childhood in Koosharem who suggested he try an old Indian remedy of drinking chaparral tea twice a day. Cazell drank the tea, he and Reva went on the trip, and had a good time. Some time after they got home, the doctor called. Cazell went for a checkup and there was no sign of cancer. He continued to drink chaparral tea and lived many more years.
RaeZell, Charlene, and Judy grew up and married and gave Cazell and Reva nine grandchildren to love and enjoy.
In 1968, Reva's mother, Effie, became very ill. Reva and Cazell took her to their home and tenderly cared for her during her last months. She died in Salt Lake City on December 3, 1968.
A few months later in 1969, their only son, Richard Kay, was in a motorcycle accident and died at age 20. This was a great loss to all of the Brown family.
Reva and Cazell were always generous, kind, and willing to help others. At one time, they took a nephew into their home when he needed a little help.
Reva's sister, Vivin, said that Reva was a good driver and she was not scared to drive in the city. When she got older, she was declared legally blind, but could still drive.
Reva died of congestive heart failure on February 18, 1998, in West Valley City, Salt Lake County, Utah. She was 80 years old. She was buried in Larkin Sunset Gardens in Sandy, Utah.
Soon after her death, Cazell went to live with RaeZell and Aaron in Cedar City. He was there about three months and died on May 26, 1998. He was buried beside Reva in Larkin Sunset Gardens.This is a brief sketch of the life of Reva Barney Brown. More storie s may be found in the Memories section.
Reva Barney was born in Annabella, Sevier County, Utah, on November 28 , 1917. She was the sixth of nine children born to James Henry and Ef fie Malinda Nebekere Barney. She had two older brothers, Von and Dewi te, three older sisters, Lora, Elma, and Hazel, and three younger sist ers, Vivin, Edith, and Martha.
Of her childhood, Reva wrote: "My first recollection is the four young est sitting on Papa's knees and on the arm of a wooden rocking chair r ocking and singing for an hour before we were put to bed. The songs h e taught us, I think he made up as I have sung them to people who hav e never heard them. Then on other nights he taught us to play the har monica. In school, they had a fifth and sixth grade harmonica band, b ut all of us kids entered it in first grade as we played so good.
"Mother was a lady. I never heard her use slang or swear and she hel d her temper so well. I told Von once I wished I could control my tem per like Mother. She was indeed a fine lady.
"Us kids would be playing out on the lawn and she would come and say , 'Come in now.' We would groan, 'Mama, we were having fun!' She wou ld always say, 'But there's an old gentleman coming up the road,' so i n the house we went. Believe it or not, I was in the seventh grade wh en I learned an old gentleman was a bull. We lived a protected life."
Reva's father was a school teacher and then turned to farming. The Bar ney children learned to work at a young age. They raised a large gard en as well as sugar beets which they thinned, hoed, and topped. The y worked in the sugar beet fields for other people in nearby towns, to o. They had Holstein dairy cows that needed to be milked night and mo rning. When the men were not around or needed help, Reva and Hazel di d the milking. They took turns helping with the housework, too.
The Barney family were faithful members of the Church of Jesus Chris t of Latter-Day Saints. Reva was baptized and confirmed a member of t he Church on June 5, 1926, when she was eight years old.
Reva attended elementary school in Annabella, then completed her educa tion in Monroe, Utah. Her father died of a brain tumor on April 12, 1 935, when Reva was 17 years old. This was a very difficult time for t he Barney family and money was scarce.
Reva met Cazell R. Brown when he came to live in Annabella with his gr eat-grandpa and great-grandma Brown so he could attend high school i n Monroe. His family lived in Greenwich, Utah, and there was no hig h school there. Cazell was very bashful. Reva saw him doing somethin g and she showed him how to do it faster or better and they started ta lking. That's how they started going together. Cazell was a year old er, but they were in the same grade. She helped him and they both gra duated from South Sevier High School in 1937.
That summer, Reva visited the Brown family in Greenwich. Cazell's mot her did not like Reva and did not want Cazell to marry her. Cazell an d Reva decided to elope and drove to Salt Lake City on Labor Day weeke nd. Everything was closed for the holiday, so they drove back to Richf ield. They got married at the courthouse on September 1, 1937.
The Annabella news in the Richfield Reaper reported that the ceremon y was performed by LaRell Nebeker, Justice of the Peace. It also said , "Mrs. Barney entertained at a dance and shower Tuesday evening in ho nor of the young couple. Many friends from neighboring towns attende d the dance."
The Koosharem news also mentioned the wedding: "Many friends and rela tives from Grass Valley attended the dance and shower given in the Ann abella Amusement Hall in honor of the marriage of Miss Reva Barney, da ughter of Mrs. Effie Barney of Annabella, and Cazell Brown, son of Mr . and Mrs. Ken Brown of Greenwich."
Cazell and Reva made their home in Magna, Utah, for most of their marr ied life. They became the parents of three daughters, RaeZell, Charle ne, and Judy Ann, and one son, Richard Kay Brown. RaeZell was born i n the hospital on the third floor of the bank building in Richfield i n November, 1938.
When RaeZell was in the first grade, she went the first part of the sc hool year in Magna and the second part of the year in Annabella. Worl d War II was going on and Cazell thought he was going in the army so h e moved the family to Annabella. They lived in a two-story home jus t south of his great-grandparents' home and a block east of the church .
When RaeZell was part way through second grade, he learned that he di d not have to go in the army, so the family moved back to Magna and Ra eZell finished second grade there.
Cazell worked for Kennecott Copper and the Browns lived in a house o n the west side of Magna for a few years. Then they moved to a hous e on Main Street and from there to a house south of Cyprus High Schoo l which became their permanent home.
Reva worked at a facility in Magna making bullets for the army for a t ime. Cazell took a second job delivering mail for the post office. H e worked at Kennecott at night, came home and delivered mail, slept fo r a few hours, then went back to Kennecott.
On September 1, 1954, Cazell and Reva received their endowments in th e Salt Lake Temple and were sealed to each other for time and eternity . Cazell was also sealed to his parents that day.
In about 1959, Cazell and Reva were planning a trip to England on a Ke nnecott excursion. Cazell got a physical examination which showed h e had prostate cancer, fairly advanced. The doctor gave him three mon ths to live, but said to go ahead and go to England and if he died the re, his body could be shipped home.
Cazell visited an old Indian friend from his childhood in Koosharem w ho suggested he try an old Indian remedy of drinking chaparral tea twi ce a day. Cazell drank the tea, he and Reva went on the trip, and ha d a good time. Some time after they got home, the doctor called. Caz ell went for a checkup and there was no sign of cancer. He continue d to drink chaparral tea and lived many more years.
RaeZell, Charlene, and Judy grew up and married and gave Cazell and Re va nine grandchildren to love and enjoy.
In 1968, Reva's mother, Effie, became very ill. Reva and Cazell took h er to their home and tenderly cared for her during her last months. S he died in Salt Lake City on December 3, 1968.
A few months later in 1969, their only son, Richard Kay, was in a moto rcycle accident and died at age 20. This was a great loss to all of t he Brown family.
Reva and Cazell were always generous, kind, and willing to help others . At one time, they took a nephew into their home when he needed a li ttle help.
Reva's sister, Vivin, said that Reva was a good driver and she was no t scared to drive in the city. When she got older, she was declared l egally blind, but could still drive.
Reva died of congestive heart failure on February 18, 1998, in West Va lley City, Salt Lake County, Utah. She was 80 years old. She was bur ied in Larkin Sunset Gardens in Sandy, Utah.
Soon after her death, Cazell went to live with RaeZell and Aaron in Ce dar City. He was there about three months and died on May 26, 1998 . He was buried beside Reva in Larkin Sunset Gardens.
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