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

the Hillyard's Auburn Foundation

Grandpa Leslie Hillyard built his family home from the foundation up. Before he built the home in the meadow on the outskirts of Auburn he housed his growing family on the hill north of the "Auburn foundation" as I will call it. The hill location was acquired through the US Governments Homestead Act is what my father told me. 

Meadow outside north of Auburn

Ada and Leslie's Foundation

The home was moved into Afton WY
 abt1964 and sits near the corner of
E 4th Ave and Madison Street.

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.