Don Penrod
1917 ~ 2008
Don Nephi Penrod was born March 19, 1917 in Provo, Utah to Wilford and Harriett Fausett Penrod. He was the eighth of 12 children, and the third boy.Don grew up in Provo, Utah where he attended Page School. At age 16 he lied about his age and joined the CCC Corps, where he began his learning of the road construction industry. From there he went to Silverton, CO where, at age 17 he drove a dump truck on a state road construction project. His next job took him to Huntington Park, CA where he worked in a foundry making cast iron pipe. He returned to Silverton in 1939 and worked on an aerial tramway that transported raw ore from the silver mine to the processing mill. He worked there until the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941. He enlisted in the Marines and spent his time in the Pacific. He was a machine gunner in the 22nd Marine Regiment from 1942 until his honorable discharge in 1946.
After the war he returned to Colorado, where he lived for 61 years. In the spring of 2007 he moved back to Utah and lived in Orem until his death.
He was member of the Operating Engineers Local No. 9 for over 60 years and ran mainly dozer and finish blade. He worked on the Million Dollar Highway between Silverton and Ouray, CO, as well as many other highways on the western slope. He later became a business agent for the union and worked that job until he retired in 1980.
Don was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and served in many callings over his lifetime. On June 28, 1948, he married Rosemae Bergesen in Grand Junction, CO. Their marriage was solemnized in the Salt Lake Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1952.
They had two daughters, Claudia Carter and Cathy Hockins.
Don liked to hunt and fish. He had a beautiful baritone singing voice and sang in choirs and performed in solos. He and his wife loved to dance. After his retirement, he and Rosemae liked to snowbird with family in their camp trailer. Don loved to share stories from his time in the war, in construction, and about growing up in a large family. He was always learning. He was very friendly and it could be said about him that he "knew no stranger." He will be greatly missed.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Rosemae; his parents; by his sisters, Flava, Murieleen, Velma, and Berniece; by his brothers, Frank,
Keller, Ned, and Garn; and by his son-in-law, Gary Carter. He is survived by his daughters, Claudia
Carter (Riverton, UT); Cathy Hockins and son-in-law, Terry (Camarillo, CA); nine grandchildren; 21 great grandchildren; his sister, Mamie
Johnson, (Orem, UT); and brothers Paul (Provo, UT), and Grant Penrod (American Fork, UT).
Funeral services will be held Thurs., May 15, 2008, at 11 a.m. in the Cascade Chapel at Sundberg-Olpin Mortuary, 495 South State in Orem. Friends and family may call Thurs. from 9-10:45 a.m. at the mortuary. Interment will be in the Provo City Cemetery with military rites provided by VFW District #4. Condolences may be sent to the family at
www.sundbergolpinmortuary.com