Ora R. Barlow

Ora Robison Barlow passed away peacefully on the morning of Sunday, December 12, 2010 in Clearfield, Utah.

Ora was born in Meadow, Utah in a small log cabin (still standing) on July 17, 1915 to Henry Robison and Agnes Bushnell Robison. Ora was the second oldest in her family, which consisted of three brothers and one sister. She was raised in this small Utah town in the loving home of her maternal grandparents, Daniel and Susan Bushnell. Ora was a blond, active girl who loved to ride horses and enjoy the outdoors. She was an excellent student in school and spent many hours reading. Ora attended Millard High School in Fillmore, Utah.

When Ora was 16 years old, she traveled to Salt Lake City where she met and worked in the home of Senator Wallace F. and Francis Bennett. She grew to love and deeply respect Mrs. Frances Bennett, a daughter of President. Heber J. Grant.

The summer of 1934 brought Ora to Clearfield with some of her friends, and they all took jobs at the Smith Canning Company. On July 4th, of that year, Ora first met Wilmer Stoker Barlow, who was working in his father's general store in Clearfield. (which was located where the Barlow Furniture Company came to be). They dated one another the rest of that summer until the fall when Ora left to attend the Agricultural College (now Utah State University) in Logan. She had received a scholarship to attend college where she studied physical education and to become a dietitian. Wilmer had graduated the previous June in accounting from the University of Utah and, in the fall, he left to find a job in San Francisco. Throughout Ora's freshman year, Wilmer and Ora corresponded everyday between Logan and California. Wilmer returned to Utah the next summer, and they were engaged the following October 6, 1935.

Ora and Wilmer married on Dec. 6, 1935 in Salt Lake City, Utah during the depression. They were later sealed in the Salt Lake Temple. Their first month of marriage was spent in Clearfield. One month later they moved to Salt Lake City, where Wilmer got a job with an electric company and Ora worked in the home of Axel A. Madsen, another daughter of President Heber J. Grant.

Ora and Wilmer moved back to Clearfield on June 6, 1936, which was also the date of the beginning of the Barlow Furniture Company, when Wilmer started selling washing machines in a corner of his father's general store.

When World War II broke out in 1941 Wilmer had to go to war because he had been in the ROTC during college. At that time they had two children, Robert and Florianne, and Ora was expecting their third baby. Wilmer, Jr. was born March 22, 1942. His mission in life took only 3 A