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

Uncle DeMar's Home and Barn

Uncle DeMar's Home

and his barn

In Auburn WY not far from the Hog Hole and the Old Stone Church is Uncle DeMar Hillyard's home and barn. In the pasture with this barn Uncle DeMar would raise a steer for us and we would enjoy hamburger and steaks through the winter. We would have family reunions in the yard where Uncle DeMar would pull an old milk can out of the coals and provide a meal of potatoes, carrots, onions and beef for hungry Hillyard aunts, uncles, counsins and grandparents; and, I'll never forget the time when we watched Uncle DeMar on a one-legged stool milk his cows by hand. My younger 5 year old brother, Paul, pointed at the udder and teats and said, "Wow, look at all those peters!" Aunt Virginia would feed us Sunday dinners and I would play on her electric organ in the living room. 

the Old Rock Church

The Rock Church was the first building constructed in the newly surveyed town site of Auburn WY in 1889.

On our way to the Auburn Fish Hatchery we drove through town and I photographed the Stone Church. My dad frequently reminded us that when Indians threatened to attack early settlers they locked themselves in the Rock Church for protection. The clapboard LDS church in which we used to hold Hillyard family reunions has been torn down. The much newer Auburn church building is now on 1156 Wy State Highway 237 closer to Grover. I love this tidbit I learned from a small history of Auburn. "Heavy snows made Star Valley a great place to 'hole up' in the winter. Using alias names Butch Cassidy and his partners were occasionally seen at church socials and dances held at the Old Rock Church." Town of Auburn by Ilia Wilkes

Auburn Fish Hatchery

Autumn foliage along Tygee Road just before Stump Creek Road.

     The autumn foliage had decorated the hills has we drove up Stump Creek Road past Maybe's place. My Uncle DeMar used to be the caretaker for Maybe's land that was situated along a generous length of Stump Creek. Shortly after leaving the cabin Daniel fell asleep in the back of the Suburban on our way to the Auburn Fish Hatchery. Shannon and Whitney stayed at the cabin and were all chummy. So, Bob and I were the ones to enjoy the kokonee e salmon eggs and their little eyes--"eye of the fry" the hatchery attendant told us. Later Shannon said, "Why didn't you tell me you were going to go to the hatchery." I guess we didn't make ourselves clear.

Kokonee e salmon eggs two weeks from hatch.

Bob visiting the Auburn, ID Fish Hatchery

On our way to the fish hatchery we took some photos of the foundation of Grandma Ada Elizabeth Wood Hillyard's home. It was later moved from the outskirts of Auburn to about 415 Madison Street, Afton WY.

Foundation of Grandma Ada's home in Auburn.

 My dad was born in this house on November 23, 1935, when it was located in the outskirts of Auburn. Dad's father, Leslie Hillyard had harvested timber from up on the hill north of this foundation to build the first portion of this log home. DeMar, Ronny and Uncle En (Enoch) may have helped build the first part of the small house. Dad's birth home was constructed of logs with sawn boards attached to the outside of the logs. Later they added on a second floor. Even later my dad, Jim, helped add a basement (in Afton? There doesn't appear to be a hole for a basement in the above  photo.) My father was the surprise caboose in the family and before he was born his parents, brothers and sisters lived up on the hill north of this area. The Hillyard's had acquired land on the hill through the Homestead Act.

Grandma Ada's home now in Afton WY.

The garage was added after the home was moved to Afton.  I remember riding old Socks the nearly dead horse on this road. Socks was black with white socks and never moved too quickly for dudes like me visiting from Salt Lake City UT. To whom did Socks belong?