Preface:This is a tale that spans 73 years, and is of utmost importance to me. It is a historical account of the death of my grandfather in 1930, an event that reminds me of the deepest significance of life itself. One such lesson is that we have a few precious minutes here on earth, and that precious time should NOT be squandered. This story, if the reader is prepared to jump around in time, will not be complete until I have reached 2003. The story reaches far beyond my grandfather's untimely death.
One day in 1999 a journalism professor (and a recently released LDS Bishop), Michael Perkins, his wife and two children were guests in our house in Iowa to eat hamburgers and chili. While we were waiting for the food to finish cooking, I took a framed picture off my wall to show Michael. Actually, it was not a picture at all. It was the front-page of the Springville Herald published in Springville, Utah County on Thursday, January 30th, 1930. It has hung in my hallway for many years. (See photo above).
Michael sat down and studied that front-page and the entire layout. He recognized almost instantly that the Editor of the paper had re-arranged the entire layout to accommodate a late-breaking story. The headlines read in big bold print: “Death Takes Music Supervisor of City Schools.” About half the front page (above the fold) was devoted to this story. Michael proceeded to tell me in great detail which columns the Editor had to move or to shift in order to squeeze this sad news onto the page. Everything Michael observed made great sense, but I had never before caught the subtle details he noticed in just seconds.
The reason this framed news page has been on my wall is that the music supervisor who passed away in 1930 was my grandfather (Eugene Lawrence Faux: b. July 3, 1896 – d. Jan. 28, 1930). He died at age 34 of appendicitis. My own father, Frank, was a child of 5 years old at the time.
My grandfather, Eugene Faux, died leaving a wife, Alta, two young boys and an unborn daughter (now Mary Wood). The death occurred right at the beginning of the great economic depression of the United States.
My Grandmother Faux, Alta, supported her family during the depression by working at Taylor Brothers Department store in Provo. She sold dresses. Alta's biological sister, Bernice (Aunt "B"; see above photo), taught Kindergarten, moved in with Alta, and provided a significant source of financial assistance. The two sisters lived together for the rest of their lives. Somehow they raised those three kids and sent them all to college and even graduate school. Sadly, Alta's daughter, the third child, would lose her husband, Colonel Don C. Wood, in the Vietnam War in 1967 leaving behind five children and one unborn boy.
The rightmost columns of The Springville Herald front page reads:
EUGENE L. FAUX SUCCUMBS TUESDAY TO OPERATION FOR APPENDICITIS; FUNERAL FRIDAY-------------
Military honors will be paid at funeral services for Eugene Lawrence Faux, which will be held in the Springville high school auditorium Friday morning at 10 o'clock. …
Mr. Faux died at a local hospital Tuesday afternoon following an operation for appendicitis which he underwent early Sunday morning. He was seized with appendicitis Saturday night, and the appendix was broken when the operation was performed. Despite the fact that everything known to medical science was done peritonitis set in causing his death.
He was born July 3, 1896 at Moroni, Utah, the son of Jabez and Helena E. Eliason Faux. He moved to Springville in August 1926 to assume the duties as supervisor of music in the schools of this city.
This young man was a well known and highly respected citizen. He was a member of Springville post No. 28 American Legion, and was director of the Springville band. For some time past, he had been directing a Boy Scout band, and was the Kolob stake chorister. …
The middle column of the The Springville Herald front page reads:
Eugene L. Faux
Like darkening clouds that hide the brightness of the days whose shadows oft[t]imes reach the hearts of men, so also has the passing of E. L. Faux cast a shadow over the entire community.
The suddenness with which he was called gave his beloved family and his friends so little time to prepare themselves for the gigantic loss they have sustained that it is hard to realize his mission here is finished.
And what a mission! In the brief time that he lived in this city he endeared himself to every one with whom he came in contact. His life was an open book. He was an indefatigable worker, willing and helpful at all times.
Within the circle of his home he was blessed with the devotion of a noble wife and with the passionate love of two fine boys. And that love extended far beyond the confines of his own home. It found its way into almost every home in Springville where boys and girls benefitted [sic] by his kindly spirit. As supervisor of music in the schools he did much to brighten the lives of many a young person, and kindled in them an ambition to acquire and cultivate the cultural and beautiful in life.
Nor was his good life confined only to the children of this community. As stake chorister and director of Springville band, he did much to transmit these superlative qualities into the hears of the elders. In all of these capacities his single aim was that of service.
He was modest, unostentatious, bit withal persevering and sincere.
His career was cut off in the noonday of its strength and usefulness, when friends innumerable clung with fondest attachments and reaped the harvest of his rich spirit. Such is so frequently the path of service; such life's fickle story; inevitably must bow, sob awhile, wipe away a tear, lift up its head and pass on into life's activities and forget till the next time comes round, and so on and on to its own.
To his beloved wife, his sorrowing children and his heart-stricken parents, brothers and sisters, and to that multitude of boys and girls who will sadly miss him, we express our profound sympathy. May his memory live to assuage the sorrow and anguish of those who will so greatly miss him.
Attesting to the respect the community had for Eugene Faux, the following announcement was made under the heading: "Springville Basketeers Meet Nephi":
On account of the death of Mr. Faux the basketball game between Nephi and Springville scheduled for Friday night, has been postponed until Monday night.
The news editor bumped the text of the upcoming basketball rivalry downward in order to place the bolded announcement at the top. The funeral was in the morning, and the schools must have felt that a basketball game later that day was inappropriate. That is the height of respect.
There is one last clue on the frontpage of The Springville Herald about the importance of Eugene Faux to this community. It was a column that had already been set before the breaking sad news required re-doing the paper layout. The column heading read: "Mapleton P.T.A. Hold Interesting Session, Jan. 22." Within the column it reads:
Probably one of the most successful P.T.A. meetings of the year was held at Mapleton Wednesday evening with 102 patrons and teachers present and about 75 pupils. A splendid program was featured in which Professor T. L. Martin [a soil scientist] of the B.Y.U. Provo was the principal speaker. Musical numbers were given under the direction of supervisor E. L. Faux … .
This is the only description I have ever read of an entertaining and successful P.T.A. meeting. Of course, I have rarely gone to such meetings. I hate meetings. But, I might have gone to this one.
The story continues:
of Communications (2001-2003), BYU, Provo
My friend Michael Perkins, identified at the beginning of this essay as the journalism expert who helped me evaluate and understand the 1930 front page of The Springville Herald, left Iowa in 1999 to serve in a faculty position at BYU, Provo. About two years later he became the Chair of the Department of Communications. On August 14th, 2003 he tragically died in a kayaking accident while he was vacationing.
To me, the parallels between Michael Perkins and Eugene Faux are uncanny. Nearly everything said in The Springville Herald commemoration discussed above could apply equally to Michael Perkins. What was originally written for Eugene Faux seemed just as applicable to Michael. For example, when Eugene Faux died as a music supervisor in Springville, he had lived in town only four years. Similarly, Michael served as a teacher and administrator at BYU for only four years as well. Both died too young. Eugene was 34; Michael was 45.
Let me make just a few modifications to one of The Springville Herald quotations and apply it Michael:
Within the circle of his home he was blessed with the devotion of a noble wife and with the passionate love of two fine [children]. And that love extended far beyond the confines of his own home. It found its way into almost every home in [his Department of Communication and his Church Ward] where boys and girls have benefited by his kindly spirit. As [a Department Chair, Bishop, and youth ward leader] he did much to brighten the lives of many a young person and kindled in them an ambition to acquire and cultivate the cultural and the beautiful in life.
I was unable to attend the funeral in Utah, but I carefully listened to tape recordings and transcripts of the proceedings. Michael's father-in-law, BYU Professor Garold Davis, gave a funeral sermon that in my opinion is second ONLY to the King Follett discourse given by Joseph Smith. I intend that as the highest of compliments.
In March of 2006 BYU took the unusual step to name a Conference Room in the Brimhall Building (Room 370) after Michael K. Perkins.
Readers of this blog ("Mormon Insights") know that I have advocated for an uncompromising pursuit of the physical and life sciences – unfiltered by religion. Science adds significant meaning to life. Yet, the meaning it provides has significant limits. Science has no understanding beyond death. By contrast, the gospel integrates life and death, giving BOTH a deeper meaning, going far beyond the ordinary physical pursuits of science.
Attaching such meaning to death does not demean the significance of life. In fact, to Latter-day Saints death is simply a transitional state of existence. It is an alternate dimension that empirical science currently knows nothing about (and may never know anything about).
No one knows why tragedies, such as those described above, occur. They are part of life. They are part of our necessary mortal experience. Why does one person die at birth, another at age 34, another at 45, and still another at 98? No one knows. In the news is the sad story of a woman who missed the doomed Air France Flight 447, but just a few days later died in an auto accident. How can a person have a near miss one day, and then just a few days later die by another means? Life seems unfair, but that apparent unfairness may be just superficiality.
A summary of the Latter-day Saint perspective on the meaning of life can be found in Elder Alexander B. Morrison's "Life – the Gift Each is Given." He provides four points of added meaning provided by the gospel. This talk does not give a full answer, but it provides a good start.
LDS.org gives this definition of Eternal Life:
Immortality is to live forever as a resurrected being. Through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, everyone will receive this gift. Eternal life, or exaltation, is to live in God's presence and to continue as families (see D&C 131:1–4). Like immortality, this gift is made possible through the Atonement of Jesus Christ.
The gospel of Christ provides a successful plan of salvation, NOT one that dooms nearly all of humanity to an eternal hell. Read as follows:
Chapter 35: “Redemption for the Dead,” Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith, (2007), 401–11.
[W]hat has become of our fathers? Will they all be damned for not obeying the Gospel, when they never heard it? Certainly not. But they will possess the same privilege that we here enjoy, through the medium of the everlasting priesthood, which not only administers on earth, but also in heaven, and the wise dispensations of the great Jehovah. Hence those characters referred to by Isaiah [see Isaiah 24:21–22] will be visited by the Priesthood, and come out of their prison upon the same principle as those who were disobedient in the days of Noah were visited by our Savior [who possessed the everlasting Melchizedek Priesthood] and had the Gospel preached to them, by Him in prison.
The Book of Mormon attests to a universal inspiration (a spirit of Christ) that yields inspiring words all over the earth. It says, "I [God] shall also speak unto all nations of the earth and they shall write it" (2 Nephi 29:12; see also, Alma 29:8). The Latter-day Saint perspective is that cultural goodness is pervasive.
The gospel of Christ goes a step further and identifies the individual as important. The true gospel of Christ lends meaning to ALL peoples' lives – those in China, New Guinea, Somalia, and even in Utah. All lives are important – not just those Mormon.
In paying tribute to such individuals as Eugene Faux and Michael Perkins, we are merely recognizing that everyone may live a valuable life, whether that life is short or whether it is long-lived. In that value we should rejoice.
Copyright 2009 S.Faux (Email: foxgoku54 [at] gmail [d0t] c0m; URL: http://mormoninsights.blogspot.com). Readers may distribute this post for noncommercial purposes provided such distributing is of the entire post, including author's copyright and contact information. All other rights reserved.
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2 comments:
Given that he lived in Utah County during the early 20th century and was involved with music, I bet he personally knew Robert Sauer (1873-1944) who was a BYU band director and author of the good time oldie "When its Springtime in the Rockies."
Surviving the battlefields of WW I and then to die from appendicitis is very unfortunate. A bit like the Italian lady who missed the Air France 442 flight that crashed off the Brazilian coast but then died in a car accident on May 31, 2009.
Dave C:
Thanks for your careful reading and your thoughtful response.
Yes, he probably knew Robert Sauer and even studied under him for a time.
And, yes, life has its vicissitudes.
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