Franklin Downs Howard

Franklin Downs Howard was born September, 1897 at the family home in the community y of Shelton, Idaho. He was the sixth child of Bishop John Shelton Howard and Sarah Ann Downs. He had four sisters: Ella, Ollie, Carrie and Doris, plus five brothers: Jack, Albert, Walt, Jimmy and Ted. He was blessed in the old log church at Shelton by his father and grew up in a warm and loving home. He was baptized on September 2nd, 1905 by his father. The day he was baptized, his father and his family members together with a neighbor girl – Ethel Johnson, and her family, walked through the field, down to the Boomer Canal where they were both baptized into eh cold, swift water. He was confirmed a member of the Church the next day.

He attended primary and Sunday school at Shelton Church and went to school in the community at the Buck Schoolhouse. He has often told of his many happy experiences with his school friends: Ed Brown, John Burtenshaw, Harris Burtenshaw, Jess Ferguson, Elmer Newman, Francis Burtenshaw, Bill Sperry and others. He had a happy adolescence and participated in the usually boyish pranks at the Old Miskin Store, riding neighbors’ calves and roping bee hives so they could get honey.

He graduated from eh either grade at Buck School and them, as was the custom, went to work Cattle and horses were his special interest. He loved to rope and ride and enjoyed being out on the range with the cattle. He knew the hill country and south and east of here and loved to be at the cow camp in Fall Creek Basin.

He always loved to go back and see these places, often making his own roads (where none existed). His car went many difficult places long before the four-wheel drive was known. He loved to take his family for rider though the hills where he herded cattle, and tell the family of many of his happy experiences there.

As he grew up, he began to pay attend to a lovely neighbor girl n ext door, Josephine Johnson, and after going together for two years, they were married on March 22nd, 1925, in Idaho Falls. They were married at the home of Frank’s mother by President David Smith, Stake President of the Idaho Falls North Stake. They were both working – Frank helped his father on the farm and Josephine teaching school in Poplar.

Later that summer, Frank went to work for Snake River Equipment Company in Idaho Fall and Ho went to summer school at Rexburg. They them moved to the Upper Shelton Schoolhouse basement apartment and she taught school there while Frank worked for the equipment company in Ririe. In the spring of 1926, he went to work for his brother-in-law, Jim Buck, and they moved to the Buck ranch near Willow Creek. This was a continuation of a special friendship which they had with Ella and Jim Buck and Family. Frank really loved Bud Buck and felt a great loss at Bud’s death. He enjoyed his life at the ranch and both he and Jo worked hard. It was here that their first child Marion Gene was born.

In 1933 they left the rand and Frank went to work with his friend Ben Myler. They started doing carpenter work in the Ririe area; start him on his lifelong career as a builder. He later worked with many other excellent carpenters including Gus Hansen, Charles Richard, Willard Hayes and Delbert Larsen. Some of the others he associated with in the building business were Paul Dizon and Marion Harrop. Wages were different from what we experience today. He of the work for $1.00 per day plus his lunch.
They lived near Ririe for a few years, then in the Spring of 1936, they bough their present home on the Shelton Cemetery Road, loved near Jo’s sister, Florence and her husband, Ralph Moore’s home although they were always close as families, it was here that they became even closer to each other. Howard and Dorothy Moore always looked on Frank and JO as their second set of parents.

While living here, Frank and Jo were blessed with three additional children Paul Franklin, Fay Josephine, and Lucille Anne. Their children were the highlight of their lives and everyone knew of the love and concern which they had for children, both young and old. Frank was a good father. He was loving and kind. Whenever he traveled anywhere, all the kids liked to ride with him as he always found the time and money for ice cream cones, bottles of pop or a candy bar.

Marion says she can’t remember her father ever saying a cross word to her. Frank built or remodeled many homes and businesses in the valley from Pocatello to Jackson and West Yellowstone. Almost every home and business in Ririe, Shelton, Poplar, and Swan Valley have been build by his labor. He also built many churches, including Ririe, Shelton, Labelle, Clark, Rigby 2nd Ward and Swan Valley. No job was every too small, no request for he was ever refused. He was always willing to help anyone and would work night and weekend to accommodate the needs of people.

In December 1941, Frank and JO and their family, together with Ralph and Florence and their family, plus several friends, journeyed in the cold to Logan, Utah where they were sealed for time and eternity in the Logan Temple.

Frank loved the out-doors and enjoyed camping wit the families of Mayme and Dick Cleverly (another of Jo’s sisters) and Ralph and Florence Moore. He liked to show his skill at campfire cooking. He loved to fish and hunt and each fall participated in what was called “the long ride”, over ht hills and southeast Idaho in search of deer and elk.