- This brief sketch of the life of Dewite Barney was compiled by a niece, Grace Diane Barney Jessen, in 2018.
Dewite Barney was the third child born to James Henry and Effie Malinda Nebeker Barney. He was born in Annabella, Sevier County, Utah, on October 23, 1910. He had an older brother, Von, an older sister, Lora, and six younger sisters, Elma, Hazel, Reva, Vivin, Edith, and Martha.
Some sources give Dewite the middle initial "N" but his sister Vivin told Wendy Mathis that the initial was not part of his name.
Dewite grew up in Annabella and also lived in Burrville, Koosharem, and Sutherland when his father was teaching school there. After his father left teaching and became a farmer, Dewite helped with the farm, did chores, and worked in the sugar beet fields with his brother and sisters. They thinned, hoed, and topped beets for their father and for other people in nearby towns. In the evenings at home, the family enjoyed singing together and listening to their father play the harmonica.
Dewite's brother, Von, was three years older. He wrote: "Dewite was really headstrong and determined. He just wouldn't give in no matter what. He talked in his sleep and I had a lot of fun from that when he was a teenager. He would tell me everything. He also walked in his sleep until he was six or seven years old. Being the only boys in the family, we were very competitive in our early days. Maybe this was because he was so big and I was so small. Many times in our youth he was larger than I was. We started milking cows at the same time. I was about eight years old and he about five. I think he was probably bigger and stronger then than I was and was probably a better milker, too. We became very close in our later years."
Dewite's parents were active, faithful members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Dewite was baptized a member on August 2, 1919, at age eight.
Vivin wrote: "When our parents would go to Richfield or 'town' as we called it, Dewite would always like to make a batch of his favorite candy, patience. He called it patience because it took so long to make. It was creamy, rich, light tan in color, and usually had walnuts in it. I can still visualize the big bread board with all those luscious drops of candy that couldn't be beat. When we were together in the evenings, it would be brought out from hiding for everyone to enjoy."
Dewite graduated from Richfield High School in May, 1929.
According to the Annabella News in the Richfield Reaper, Dewite had a part in a play that was presented in Annabella, Monroe, Joseph, and Glenwood, inMarch, 1931. It was called "It Pays to Advertise."
Von wrote about a show in which he and Dewite had parts: "Dewite was the villain and Leo Jensen, our new school teacher, was the hero. Donna and I captured the villain and fed him sleeping powder to hold him until the hero arrived. Of course, Dewite was supposed to fight the sleeping powder and would for just a minute and then would go for it like a trout after a fat worm. We kept trying to get him to resist more, but he just wouldn't do it . . . . Donna said, 'Don't worry, he'll fight when the time comes.' When we put the show on, I was holding him while Donna fed him. She let a little trickle into his mouth right on the start. The powder was Epsom salts and when Dewite tasted that, he put up a fight. Later, when the hero came, Dewite was supposed to awaken and make a dash for liberty and the hero was supposed to stop him. When Dewite made his dash for freedom, he dashed so hard that the hero couldn't hold him and both of them and the scenery all came tumbling down together."
Vivin said that Dewite and his Uncle Gene Barney would fight in boxing matches in the ring in Bingham. Uncle Gene and Uncle Leonard worked in the Bingham Canyon Copper Mine for at least a few years, even after Gene moved his wife Ada to Annabella. Uncle Gene would take Dewite to Bingham to fight and they would make quite a bit of money. Uncle Gene was a strong man, built a lot like his father. Dewite was a little taller, not fat, just a good build.
The Great Depression was going on in the 1930s and times were hard for most everyone. When Dewite was 24 years old, his father became ill, had surgery in Salt Lake City for a brain tumor, and died at home in Annabella on April 12, 1935. Lora was the only one of the Barney children married at the time. Seven months later, Dewite became the second one to get married.
Dewite married Norma T Larsen of Glenwood, Utah, on November 24, 1935, in Richfield, Utah. Norma was the second of ten children of Terrance and Ruth Kierstead Larsen.
At one time, Dewite and Norma lived in two rooms of his mother's home while she and her younger daughters lived in the other three rooms.
On July 8, 1937, the Annabella News said that Dewite and other men had returned home. They had been employed as sheep shearers during the summer.
Dewite and Norma became the parents of three sons and a daughter: James Hal (Jim) Barney, Joe Barney, Susan Barney, and Ted Lee Barney. When Jim, Joe, and Susan were young, the family lived in a house on Main Street in Annabella. The street is now known as 100 North. The children went to elementary school in Annabella and to junior high and high school in Monroe. In 1955, when Jim was in high school, the family moved to Sandy, Utah.
Dewite and Norma received their endowments in the Manti Temple on February 7, 1955.
Ted Lee was born in Murray in 1956. Two years later, the Barneys moved to Murray, Utah, in 1958. Dewite owned a service station in Murray.
In 1959, when Von's wife Grace was in the hospital in Salt Lake City, Dewite and Norma were very kind to both of them, giving Von a place to rest, taking mail to Grace, visiting her, and offering their continual love and support until her death.
The Barney children attended school in Murray. Jim, Joe, and Susan married and had families. Ted Lee was 22 years old when he died from injuries received in an automobile accident. He died February 18, 1979, in Salt Lake City and was buried in the Murray cemetery. This was a hard time for the family.
For many years, Dewite had sight in only one eye due to a welding accident. He died August 24, 1982, in Salt Lake City, of cancer at age 71.
Norma lived nearly another ten years. She died June 28, 1992, in Murray at age 77. She was buried beside Dewite in the Murray City Cemetery.
This brief sketch of the life of Dewite Barney was compiled by a niece , Grace Diane Barney Jessen, in 2018.
Dewite Barney was the third child born to James Henry and Effie Malind a Nebeker Barney. He was born in Annabella, Sevier County, Utah, on O ctober 23, 1910. He had an older brother, Von, an older sister, Lora , and six younger sisters, Elma, Hazel, Reva, Vivin, Edith, and Martha .
Some sources give Dewite the middle initial "N" but his sister Vivin t old Wendy Mathis that the initial was not part of his name.
Dewite grew up in Annabella and also lived in Burrville, Koosharem, an d Sutherland when his father was teaching school there. After his fat her left teaching and became a farmer, Dewite helped with the farm, di d chores, and worked in the sugar beet fields with his brother and sis ters. They thinned, hoed, and topped beets for their father and for o ther people in nearby towns. In the evenings at home, the family enjo yed singing together and listening to their father play the harmonica.
Dewite's brother, Von, was three years older. He wrote: "Dewite wa s really headstrong and determined. He just wouldn't give in no matte r what. He talked in his sleep and I had a lot of fun from that whe n he was a teenager. He would tell me everything. He also walked i n his sleep until he was six or seven years old. Being the only boy s in the family, we were very competitive in our early days. Maybe th is was because he was so big and I was so small. Many times in our you th he was larger than I was. We started milking cows at the same time . I was about eight years old and he about five. I think he was proba bly bigger and stronger then than I was and was probably a better milk er, too. We became very close in our later years."
Dewite's parents were active, faithful members of the Church of Jesu s Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Dewite was baptized a member on Augus t 2, 1919, at age eight.
Vivin wrote: "When our parents would go to Richfield or 'town' as w e called it, Dewite would always like to make a batch of his favorit e candy, patience. He called it patience because it took so long to m ake. It was creamy, rich, light tan in color, and usually had walnut s in it. I can still visualize the big bread board with all those lus cious drops of candy that couldn't be beat. When we were together i n the evenings, it would be brought out from hiding for everyone to en joy."
Dewite graduated from Richfield High School in May, 1929.
According to the Annabella News in the Richfield Reaper, Dewite ha d a part in a play that was presented in Annabella, Monroe, Joseph, an d Glenwood, inMarch, 1931. It was called "It Pays to Advertise."
Von wrote about a show in which he and Dewite had parts: "Dewite wa s the villain and Leo Jensen, our new school teacher, was the hero. D onna and I captured the villain and fed him sleeping powder to hold hi m until the hero arrived. Of course, Dewite was supposed to fight th e sleeping powder and would for just a minute and then would go for i t like a trout after a fat worm. We kept trying to get him to resis t more, but he just wouldn't do it . . . . Donna said, 'Don't worry, h e'll fight when the time comes.' When we put the show on, I was holdi ng him while Donna fed him. She let a little trickle into his mouth r ight on the start. The powder was Epsom salts and when Dewite taste d that, he put up a fight. Later, when the hero came, Dewite was supp osed to awaken and make a dash for liberty and the hero was supposed t o stop him. When Dewite made his dash for freedom, he dashed so har d that the hero couldn't hold him and both of them and the scenery al l came tumbling down together."
Vivin said that Dewite and his Uncle Gene Barney would fight in boxin g matches in the ring in Bingham. Uncle Gene and Uncle Leonard worke d in the Bingham Canyon Copper Mine for at least a few years, even aft er Gene moved his wife Ada to Annabella. Uncle Gene would take Dewit e to Bingham to fight and they would make quite a bit of money. Uncl e Gene was a strong man, built a lot like his father. Dewite was a li ttle taller, not fat, just a good build.
The Great Depression was going on in the 1930s and times were hard fo r most everyone. When Dewite was 24 years old, his father became ill , had surgery in Salt Lake City for a brain tumor, and died at home i n Annabella on April 12, 1935. Lora was the only one of the Barney ch ildren married at the time. Seven months later, Dewite became the sec ond one to get married.
Dewite married Norma T Larsen of Glenwood, Utah, on November 24, 1935 , in Richfield, Utah. Norma was the second of ten children of Terranc e and Ruth Kierstead Larsen.
At one time, Dewite and Norma lived in two rooms of his mother's hom e while she and her younger daughters lived in the other three rooms.
On July 8, 1937, the Annabella News said that Dewite and other men ha d returned home. They had been employed as sheep shearers during th e summer.
Dewite and Norma became the parents of three sons and a daughter: Jam es Hal (Jim) Barney, Joe Barney, Susan Barney, and Ted Lee Barney. Wh en Jim, Joe, and Susan were young, the family lived in a house on Mai n Street in Annabella. The street is now known as 100 North. The chi ldren went to elementary school in Annabella and to junior high and hi gh school in Monroe. In 1955, when Jim was in high school, the famil y moved to Sandy, Utah.
Dewite and Norma received their endowments in the Manti Temple on Febr uary 7, 1955.
Ted Lee was born in Murray in 1956. Two years later, the Barneys move d to Murray, Utah, in 1958. Dewite owned a service station in Murray.
In 1959, when Von's wife Grace was in the hospital in Salt Lake City , Dewite and Norma were very kind to both of them, giving Von a plac e to rest, taking mail to Grace, visiting her, and offering their cont inual love and support until her death.
The Barney children attended school in Murray. Jim, Joe, and Susan ma rried and had families. Ted Lee was 22 years old when he died from in juries received in an automobile accident. He died February 18, 1979 , in Salt Lake City and was buried in the Murray cemetery. This wa s a hard time for the family.
For many years, Dewite had sight in only one eye due to a welding acci dent. He died August 24, 1982, in Salt Lake City, of cancer at age 71 .
Norma lived nearly another ten years. She died June 28, 1992, in Murr ay at age 77. She was buried beside Dewite in the Murray City Cemeter y.
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