Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Fred Giles


This was in the morning paper. I had no idea Fred was living here in Provo. I thought you would like to know - I will go to the funeral. Wish you were all closer so you could come and go with me. Fred loved Mom and Dad and had a lot of respect for our family. He was very good to us when times were tough



Fred Nuttall Giles
1913 ~ 2010
Fred Nuttall Giles, 96, died peacefully October 10, 2010 at Cove Point Retirement Center in Provo, Utah.
He was born December 13, 1913 in Provo to Joseph Francis Giles and Clara Clarkson Nuttall. He married Mary Helen Hacking October 27, 1937 in the Salt Lake LDS Temple. He attended Provo schools and graduated from Brigham Young University in 1937 with a Bachelor Degree in the College of Applied Science.
Following their marriage, Fred and Mary Helen moved to Wyoming. In 1943, Fred entered the US Army and served in Europe during World War II. He fought in the Colmar Pocket area of the Battle of the Bulge, and was awarded the Purple Heart on two different occasions and the Bronze Star. He was awarded a battlefield commission and honorably discharged as a first lieutenant in 1946. Following the war, Fred and Mary Helen homesteaded a farm in Heart Mountain, Wyoming, where he was instrumental in bringing electrical service to the area. In that role he served on the first board of directors of Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association in 1952. He was also influential in the creation of the University of Wyoming Northwest Center (now Northwest College) and served on its board of trustees.
As an active member of the LDS Church, Fred's activities included executive and leadership responsibilities in many ward and stake organizations of the church. He was Bishop and a counselor of wards in the Big Horn and the Wind River Stakes in Wyoming. He served as a member of the High Council five times in four different stakes. He served in two branch presidencies. He was one of seven charter members of the Master M Men organization.
Fred retired after working for the federal government for 38 years and a locally owned bank for 12 years. He and his wife served an LDS proselyting mission to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, from 1979 - 1980. Later in life, he served as an ordinance worker in the Vernal Utah LDS Temple.
He was an accomplished golfer, shooting a hole in one and winning several tournaments. He enjoyed gardening, hunting and fishing and spending time with his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Survivors include four sons and a daughter: Joseph F. (Sue) of Sandy, Utah; Kent H. (Elizabeth) of Wabash, Indiana, Steven H. (Gaylene) of Hummelstown, Pennsylvania; Bradley H. (Janet) of Castle Dale, Utah; Mrs. Noel (Jeannette) Burke of Aurora, Colorado; sister-in-law Mrs. Floyd (Leora) Giles of Provo, Utah; twenty-two grandchildren; and thirty great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents, wife (Mary Helen), sisters; Mrs. Charles (Mary) Goodson, Mrs. James (Zelda) Schultz, and Mrs. Rex (Edna) Hickman; brothers; John F., Leonard, Joseph, and Floyd Giles; and son-in-law, Noel R. Burke.
Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m., Friday, October 15, at the Provo 1st Ward Chapel, 100 East 200 South, Provo. Friends may call at the Berg Mortuary of Provo, 185 E. Center, Thursday evening from 6 to 8 p.m. and at the church from 10:00-10:45 a.m. prior to services. Interment will be at Provo City Cemetery. Condolences may be sent to the family at http://www.bergmortuary.com/

9 comments:

Louise Blood said...

How well I remember Fred and Mary Helen, I thought they were the neatest people, and true friends. Fred was my advocate when Mr. Lewin terminated my job before he needed to because I told him I was going to go away to college. Fred was on the board of directors for the REA. and in a board meeting Fred stood up for me to get some unused vacation pay that Mr. Lewin was not going to give me. Mr. Lewin did not take it well but Fred did not give in and I got the pay. Thank you for putting this obituary on the blog, he lived a good long life. I'm glad you will be able to go to the funeral. Do you remember when Mary Helen died?

Steve Blood said...

I have extermely fond memories, the man always had a twinkle in his eyes.

Dwight said...

Fred Giles was one of the most important people in the history of our family during the Penrose years. Through his kindness and forebearance, Dad was able to keep farming with help from Fred's role as an employee of the Farmer's Home Administration. Without Fred and the FHA, I don't know how our parents could have survived on the farm. If memory serves me correctly, it was Fred who first proposed that Dad go to a dairy operation to generate some cash. Dad did not love cows, so to speak, and milking cows 2x7 weekly, was a grind. Again, Dad persevered, and the milk money again saved the farm as Mom went back to teaching. We all loved and respected Fred and Mary Helen.

Judy said...

with your permission, may I copy your comments (or do you want to) into the mortuary guest book....link is at the bottom of the blog post.

Elizabeth said...

I'm late in chiming in. The Giles were so important to us as a family. I stayed with the children once when they lived out at Heart Mountain when Fred and Mary Helen went to Conference in Salt Lake. What an experience! I can remember fun Sunday School parties at their house when they moved in closer to Powell on the west side. Sometimes when I went home when Dad was Sunday School superintendent and he needed someone to lead the singing, I would be standing in front of Fred (He was bishop). He didn't carry a tune very well, but he sang with fervor, as we are all supposed to do. I was so mindful that he helped us hold body and soul together in Penrose through his FHA administrator job. Glad you can go to the funeral, Ann!

Dwight said...

yes Judy, copy; I tried to put the comments there, but failed.

Judy said...

I tried tonight. Thought I had you all in, but upon checking not a one took. I emailed the mortuary for help.

Judy said...

the sentiments got posted this morning.

Elizabeth said...

So glad that Ann could go to the funeral.