Blocked

                   OBITUARY--Clifford Leon Heaps, 74, passed away June 14, 1979, in a local hospital. Born Jan. 21, 1905, Escalante, Garfield County, Utah to Thomas Alma and Edith Sarah Heaps. Married Nellie Antonia Timmerman August 5, 1925 in Escalante. Later solemnized in the Salt Lake LDS temple. She died Dec. 6, 1972.
   Married Ramona Jacobs Marsh,Sept. 4, 1973 in the Salt Lake LDS Temple. Active member LDS Church. Served in High Priest group in Cottonwood 14th Ward. Was formerly of the Stratford Ward. Elders President, served on the High Counsel for 7 1/2 years in the Highland Stake. Chairman of adult aaronic and active in all other areas. Was outstanding salesman in the Salt Lake area. Survivors: widow; sons, Clifford A. Heaps, Salt Lake City; Leon H. Heaps, Kaysville; nine grandchildren and six great-grandchildren; brothers, LaMount, Biggs, Calif.;Al, Salt Lake City; Raymond, Kearns; sisters, Dema Nunley, Salt Lake City; Mrs.Ward(June) Ashby, Midvale. Funeral services Tuesday, noon, South Cottonwood 14th Ward, 1160 E. Vine St. Friends may call Monday, 6-8 p.m. at Mackay Cottonwood Mortuary, 4670 S. Hyland Drive and Tuesday one hour prior to services at the church. Interment, Wasatch Lawn Memorial Park.

      MEMORIAL SERVICES FOR CLIFFORD HEAPS---

Born January 21, 1905--Escalante, Utah--Died June 14, 1979, Salt Lake City, Utah--Funeral Services--Tuesday, June 19, 1979-12 noon--Cottonwood 14 Ward Chapel--Pallbearers--Michael Heaps, Mitchell Heaps, Richard Ayres, Kelly Benson, Michael Lunak, Carey Noorda--Interment--Wasatch Lawn Memorial Park--Funeral Directors--Cottonwood Mortuary-Salt Lake City, Utah-- OFFICIATING--Bishop Jay Thompson--FAMILY PRAYER--Al Heaps(brother)--PRELUDE MUSIC--Lynnea Holley--INVOCATION--Raymond Heaps(brother)--REMARKS--Marsha Benson and Mitchell Heaps(grandchildren)--TALK--Don Van Dam(friend)--PIANO SOLO--Ardean Watts--TALK--John Buehner(friend)--VIOLA SOLO--Karen Ruth Anderson, accompanied by Ardean Watts--BENEDICTION--Ward Ashby(brother-in-law) POSTLUDE MUSIC--Lynnea Holley--DEDICATION OF THE GRAVE--Dwight Wakefield(friend).

      My father died from leukemia and complications of staph infection.

HISTORY OF CLIFFORD LEON HEAPS----He was born 21 Jan 1905, in Escalante, Garfield County, Utah to Thomas Alma Heaps and Sarah Edith Shurtz Heaps.
He was the first born of six children. His father was a rancher/farmer, so growing up he probably had farm chores assigned to him and at a very early age he became musically adept, playing the Piano and violin. His father traded a mule to some gypsies for the violin. He would play at the dances in the neighboring towns and became well known and popular in the local area. He would travel to rugged places like Boulder, Utah on horseback to play a dance job.It soon became apparent that dad was not meant for the farm(he was not even built like a rancher-thin and skinny), So he grabbed his fiddle and took off for Salt Lake City to earn his fortune. He took violin lessons at the McCune School of Music and played dance jobs in Salt Lake to earn a living.  This is were he met my mother, Nellie Antonio Timmerman, who was born in Salt Lake City, 31 Aug 1906. She was the piano player in the band. Dad began escorting/dating her, but always in the presence of her brother Henry per her father's instructions. My grandfather who was Dutch and from the Netherlands would not let her be alone with her new boyfriend. My mother lived southeast of Sugarhouse and many times after dad escorted her home he would stay too late and had to walk miles back to Salt Lake when the busses stopped running. But, when your in love, what's a few miles. They were married 5 August 1925, in Escalante, Utah. They were sealed to one another in the Salt Lake LDS Temple, 30 September 1925. Bishop Harvey C. Bailey perfromed the marriage and George F. Richards, Temple President, sealed them for time and all eternity.
       They had two sons born to them: Clifford Alma Heaps, 14 Aug 1926 and Leon Henry Heaps, 23 Feb 1931, both born in Sugarhouse, Utah. The home where Cliff Jr. was born was located at 2393 South 8th East and Leon was born in a house at 1989 South 10th East. The first home I can recall living in was in Sugarhouse at 2028 Elizabeth Street across the street from Irving Junior High. It was there that I ran away from home when I was about two and 1/2 years old and was later found by my parents at the local police station on Hyland Drive. I was told that my mother almost passed out when she saw me and no one could figure out how I got across the very busy streets.
       As far as my dad's formal education is concerned, I think he graduated from Escalante High School, but I'm not sure. Early in his married life he held some odd jobs, but when we lived on Alden Street he worked for Southeast Furniture Co. in Sugarhouse owned by the Sorensons. He started there as a furniture deliverer--was promoted to a collector during the middle 1930's and depression days. The stock market crash was about the time I was born and jobs were very scarce. He had the gift of gab and everyone seemed to like him--even when he had to collect past due debts from them. He always had a listening ear and was easy to get along with. I remember riding around with him while he did his collections--I guess he was baby sitting me. He was instrumental in helping family members and friends in providing food for them and helping them find employment. He was later promoted to a sales position where he found his niche in life. After eighteen years at Southeast Furniture, he quit and became the Salesmanager for Breinholt Compay selling furnace equipment.It was here that he met Beech Adams and the two of them hit it off famously. They later formed the Beech Adams Appliance Co. located on State Street in Salt Lake. Dad was more or less a silent partner in the firm--being very conservative and taking no responsibility for the inventory,etc. He earned a very comfortable income up until the time he passed away. He enjoyed working with Beech and was the salesmanager for the store--he enjoyed selling so much, it was almost his recreation. Dad was an outstanding salesman--he could sell anything--even the shoes off your feet. He won many vacation trips, prizes and awards for his excellent salesmanship. He won many of the household items for their home. Dad was always neat in a appearance--had many new suits and usually purchased a new Buick vehicle every year--he looked the part. He also lived in a well organized and spotless home due to my mother's effort. I will always be grateful to them for raising me in such wonderful, clean enviroment where I met and associated with so many of their outstanding friends.
       When I was very young I remember my parents doing alot of traveling. We went to Yellowstone almost every year, back to his home in Esclante many times to visit my grandpa and grandma Heaps. I remember with the old cars at that time, you had to ciphon gas from cans into the car's gas tank. This was to make it over the high mountain pass going from Panguitch into Escalante.  You did this by sucking on a hose to get the gas started flowing to transfer the fuel. Well, this one time, dad sucked a little too long and got a whole mouthful of gasoline. I thought we lost him right there--he was gasping for air, choking and going red in the face. After some time, he recovered, but took him awhile to get over it. We traveled several times to the northwest, down the California coast - through the redwoods, Catalina Island, Los Angeles, San Deigo, Sun Valley, Idaho, Craters of the Moon, across the deserts to the Grand Canyon, just to name a few places and when traveling was much more antiquated. Later when I was in the Air Force, my parents would travel to each place I was stationed, even to Japan for a month.
       When my dad was young he was not very active in the church, nor was he keeping the word of wisdom. But as the years went by , my mother kept working on him and little by little he became real active in the church.The ward leaders would utilize his abilities as a salesman by calling as the Building Fund Chairman. He would raise a lot of money for building ward meetinghouses.etc. I remember him being called as an Adult Aaronic Leader(for inactive Priesthood holders) in the Stratford Ward, Hyland Park Stake. There was not one adult aaronic attending church in the ward. In a very short time because of my dad's perserverence, 16 adult aaronics were reactivated. That's salemanship or missionary work --whatever you want to call it. He was a Stake Missionary in the Hyland Stake from 1946-49. He was a High Priest Group Leader in 1967 and very successful in getting a large amount of the members to attend the temple. Later he served a number of years in the Stake High Council. His Priesthood ordinations were as follows: Deacon--25 Feb 1918, Teacher--5 Dec 1921, Priest--12 Dec 1942, High Priest--29 May 1960. Dad and mom belonged to a Sunday Night Club and would meet once a month to discuss the gospel. A lot of outstanding leaders of the church came from this group. They all became lasting friends. As they have passed away we go to their funerals to pay respect to my parents and their devoted, loving friends.
       Of course dad's main hobby was enjoying music along with his wife. He took up playing the base fiddle and became associated with some of the best bands in Utah. Many of his dance jobs were at the Roof Garden, Hotel Utah. I remember him getting envolved in jam sessions at our family reunions-outings with my brother Cliff or my father-in-law, Paul Homer, who played the piano so beautifully by ear. I remember him having perfect pitch - never really needing a piano,etc. to tune his instrument. The last time he played his base fiddle was at my daughter Cynthia's wedding reception, 5 Jan 1979. He was hospitalized shortly after that date in the Holy Cross Hosital and later died from leukemia and complications of staph infection. Six months earlier, he had played for my daughter Susan's reception at the McCune Mansion- same building where it had all began for him. My dad was never fond of sports until I started playing basketball in the late 1940's, then he began to be excited and followed me all over to see my games. He knew how to brag about his son and by the time he got through, you were an All-American. He enjoyed fishing, but liked to eat the fish more. In his sixties-he started to play golf and truly enjoyed it--playing mostly with good friends like Pres. Donavan Van Dam and Dwight Wakefield at Nibley Golf Course.
       My parents were well-liked and respected by many people. They had a lot of close friends, who later in their lives were called to key positions in the church or became outstanding businessmen. My parents were always devoted and supportive of their children and grandchildren. Christmas, Thanksgiving and dinners at their home were always special. Their home was always Dutch clean and the food delicious and plentiful. My father always had a concern for his parents--always checking on them and traveling with them on many occasions.  He was a good son,father,grandfather and an example(being the oldest) to his brothers and sisters. My mother passed away 5 Dec 1972 from cancer. My father later married Rea Ramona Jacobs Marsh, 4 Sep 1973. They had a good life together until dad passed away 14 Jun 1979 after an extended blood disorder.
He was buried at Wasatch Lawn Cemetery, Salt Lake City, Utah, next to my mother. Thank you so much for your love and devotion to your family--you will always be remembered.

                                  Written by Leon Henry Heaps--a son
                                  20 October 1997