Milton Widdison

Milton Gardner Widdison 1916 ~ 2007

Milton Gardner Widdison, beloved husband and family patriarch, died peacefully at home on May 12, 2007, at the age of 90. Milt was born August 22, 1916, in Hooper, Utah, to James Gourley Widdison Jr. and Lillian Elnora Gardner Widdison. He was the middle child of 11, with three sisters and two brothers older and three sisters and two brothers younger. Milt loved Hooper and was fiercely loyal to his family. He grew up on a farm and remembers being proficient at milking cows at the age of five. He told many stories of hauling hay, thinning sugar beets, and picking tomatoes, and he would have preferred to remain a farmer throughout his life had circumstances allowed it. Milt graduated from Weber High School, attended BYU, and graduated from the University of Utah with bachelor's and master's degrees. He served in the Civilian Conservation Corp during the Great Depression, which was a great growing experience for him. Milt served in the German-Austrian mission from 1935 to 1938 and witnessed Hitler's rise to power prior to the second world war. He served as a chaplain during World War II and was at one time the youngest chaplain in the U.S. Army. During the War he served in Hawaii, Okinawa, and Korea. On March 11, 1944, Milt married Ruth Sleight in the LDS Laie, Hawaii Templea