Rolland Almon Bascom

HISTORY OF ROLLAND ALMON BASCOM
by Matilda Nelson Bascom

On April 18, 1896 a baby boy came to gladden the home of Joel Almon Jr. and Elenora Haws Bascom. They named him Rolland Almon. He was born in Vernal, Utah and grew up in the Naples Ward. After he graduated from the eighth grade he rode a little white horse three miles to town and went to the Uintah Academy for three years. As a boy he helped his father on the farm, milked cows, picked fruit, and worked for different people until he was 17 when a friend, Jerome Goodrich, and he decided to leave and go look for work. They left Vernal and went to Manila, Utah, a little town north of Vernal over a mountain. They found work on a large ranch putting up hay. After the hay was all in, he decided to stay and got a job herding sheep. When I World War broke out he was drafted into the infantry. He went over seas and was in several battles. During the one big one, The Argonn Drive, he was in his fox hole waiting for a signal to go to the front. As he was showing his buddy a picture of his girl friend some shots were fired hitting him on his iron hat and killing his buddy. He always said that picture saved his life. When he came home he got a job herding sheep. He married Matilda Nelson on the 27 June 1919 and took his bride with him herding sheep. When fall came they moved to Manila and lived there all winter. In the spring they moved to a ranch. He worked there all summer. Fall came and they moved back to Manila to run his father-in-laws farm, Daniel Morgan Nelson. He went to church, M.I.A. He worked helping to build a large ditch from Boly mountain to Manila so the people could get water to their farms. He left Manila in August 1922, moved to Vernal, and lived in the Maeser Ward. He cut posts and sold them that winter to buy food and to pay the rent. He moved to a place that had fruit trees and berries. He sold fruit, and did odd jobs. He picked turkeys, chickens, and fruit for winter. He worked at a meat packing plant, in a flour mill, cut timber, sold Herberlings products and sheared sheep and other jobs with the sheep. He got sick and was only sick 14 days when he passed away on June 24, 1946.

He was a good man. He worked in the church as Superintendent of the Sunday School a short time, and also as a ward teacher. One time he was traveling he met a man, His wife and their baby. He took them to town, paid for their motel room, and then took them to a cafe and bought them supper. He gave lots of rides to people.

He was a good fisherman and hunter and loved to do that.

He was the only barber in Manila, and did this for a few years.

He had four children, George Rolland born 16 March 1921, Raymon Owen born 20 March 1923, Cleo Edwin born 2 January 1926, and Carmen Elaine born 21 January 1935.
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