the Fijian Way Home

Leslie Hillyard
26 March 1895-28 August 1959
Auburn, WY

I never met my father's father while he was alive. I was born in 1965 and he died in  August of 1959. My dad told me that he is thankful he didn't complete his world tour the long way home. Some of his fellow companions who were released after completion of their LDS "Mormon" missions had invited my dad to travel with them to see the world. They would have traveled east and through Europe. Jim's parents had even sent him some hard earned money for this tour.  They didn't want him to miss this opportunity of a lifetime. Jim knew how hard this money was to acquire and felt selfish. He traveled from Sydney to Melbourne and was preparing to take an Italian ship to Europe. The ship employees went on strike and two weeks later with the strike continuing Jim and two companions decided to head home across the Pacific.

Rather than tour Europe my dad left from Melbourne, flew to New Zealand and caught a cruise ship to Hawaii. He flew from Hawaii to LAX, then to Salt Lake City UT. The cruise ship was an improvement over the freighter which he had to take on his way to the Sydney, Australia mission. During his trip across the Pacific he stopped in Fiji and met friendly fellow Mormons. The Fijians had a ward house and the LDS men were able to hold the Priesthood. This was before 1978.

Jim with Fijians

Traveling companions to home.

Jim barely made it home in time to be with his father before he died from a heart attack three weeks later. Leslie had been ill with with a concussion to the head and a severe bleeding ulcer. During Jim's mission Ada and Leslie had headed to Orange County, CA to work for their son-in-law, Byron Thurman. Byron was a manager for Sav-On. Leslie was a talented carpenter and maintained the stores. During his stay in Orange County he had a bleeding ulcer and had 2/3's of his stomach removed.

Leslie Hillyard married to Ada Elizabeth Wood
12 April 1917
Logan UT LDS Temple

Amelia is Leslie's mother