(written by his Mother Mary B. King and edited by his sister, DePhane)
Dennison Brigham King was born in his grandmother’s home in Malad, Idaho on 2 June 1909 at 8:00 PM (Wednesday). He was a lovely child with dark brown eyes and hair and weighed 8 pounds and developed into a handsome boy. He was named after his two grandfathers: Dennison Gifford King and Brigham Evan Jones.
Dennison was blessed by his Grandfather Jones on 23 June 1909….His parents were members of the LDS Church,
His mother was raised in the church and his Father was baptized in 1908, he being the only member in his whole family. Dennison had two sisters: Mae Elizabeth (Betty) who was three years younger than he, and Annie DePhane, who was nine years younger. His parents were so proud of him and would take him everywhere to show him off to their family and friends. He was a beautiful baby and a good boy.
He started school at seven years of age as his birthday was in June after school was out in the spring so had to start in the following fall. Miss Bird was his teacher and he was very smart and learned quickly so was advanced to the second grade. His Father had work in Montpelier, Idaho so, entered school there and finished that year there. He made a lot of drawings and novelties. He made many friends there and had his picture taken with his Sunday School Class, his teacher was Miss Hallie Dewey. James Cocran was his best friend there then World War I broke out and his parents moved to Ogden, Utah. Dennis entered school in Ogden the next year at the Madison School. He also attended the Grant School, his teacher there was Miss Gettings whose husband went down with the Titanic, she gave him a little cup and saucer which he has.
The next year his sister, Betty was old enough to go to school so they both attended the Grant School.
He took carpentry work and made many useful items, such as a match box, tooth brush holder, broom holder, bread board, small checker board-to play games on, etc. He did very good work and the articles are still in use. He made many friends while in Ogden and learned to skate and he knew every street and place in Ogden.
In 1921 his family moved back to Malad, Idaho. He was in the fifth grade and continued to do carpentry work, making larger things such as two flower pedestals, one library table, a book rack, a foot stool and many other useful items, then the wood work was discontinued in the Malad schools. He was very ambitious and would work around his Uncle B;s store after school and was very quick and snappy as a clerk, and could wait on customers in a hurry. He delivered the Ogden Standard Examiner newspaper for several years which enabled him to have spending money and also helped him buy books and such for school. He was an agent for the Ogden Standard Examiner paper from October 1921 until 1928 when he went to work in Salt Lake to attend the American Telegraph School. During this time he made a trip to Yellowstone National Park with the Boy Scouts of Malad Stake, on 12 July 1923,
The next year he made a trip to Pulaski, Iowa leaving Malad on the 7 July 1924 with his parents and Betty and DePhane. They made the trip in a Ford car taking ten days to make the journey. Stopped along the way to visit all points of interest. Visited Grandpa King and other relatives for the first time.
In 1926 he started working in the Idaho Enterprise office melting lead and setting type after school. After working there that year, the next year Bee wanted his help in the store more so he quit the work at the paper office and spent more time at the store.
He kept company with Alice Jones of St. John and they thought a lot of each other. The next year he started to haul freight with Morgan Jenkins, he also kept up with his paper route, going on a bicycle in summer and walking in the winter. He worked hard, never had time for basketball or football, as he had his own way to make as his father was losing his health. He helped himself as much as he could. He worked after school and in summer from the time he was 10 years old. He read and observed everything and was very smart and quick and eager to learn.
He went to Ogden to attend school but as he didn’t have enough money so got a job at the Healy Hotel and worked odd times at the Wilson Hotel. He came home for a short time and then went back to Salt Lake and worked at the McDonald Candy factory. He was still going with Alice at this time and they planned to be married in October so both were saving and looking forward to their wedding day. He gave her a diamond ring. One day they went to get the marriage license and by some misunderstanding they broke up and didn’t get married.
They loved each other dearly but somehow kept putting off their wedding because he didn’t have a steady job or not enough money, so he went to Pocatello to work for the Hawkes Transfer co. He spent three years there with very hard work and no enjoyment. He was lonely. His pay was little more than to pay his rent and eat. He came home and spent two years at home with just work here and there. He got a job for Davind Williams driving truck going to Salt Lake at 2:00 AM. down in in the morning and back at 7 or 8 PM at night, lifting heavy things all day. Not much pleasure and very little sleep.
He would work in the store and on Bee’s truck once in a while in between.
He made acquaintance with Elsie Lynn Allen of Preston, Idaho. Alice had gone to California and said she was going to marry a man down there, she had never given Dennis’s ring back and married the other fellow anyway.
Den and Lynn went together and fell in love, they decided to get married, so Den bought a diamond and wedding ring set. They decided to get married in January, but his mother met with an accident while she was going to a funeral of a relative in Salt Lake. She was in the back seat and the car skidded on the ice spinning the car around hitting a telephone pole on the side she was on. Her legs and pelvis were broken and she was laid up for months. In the meantime his sister DePhane got married so Dennis thought it his duty to stay at home and take care of things as with his father disabled he was really needed. He could cook and do things as good as any woman around the house. He took his mother back and forth to work as soon as she was able to work again. The Doctors had told her that she would never walk again, but with the good care and prayers and faith she did walk again and worked as hard as she ever did.
Dennis and Lynn were very much in love, but one night they had a quarrel and she gave his ring back. He felt so bad about it and when he went to make up he heard that Lynn had gone to attend College and met a man there and married him on the spur of the moment, but that night she returned to her home in Preston and told her mother she didn’t know why she had married Bradshaw because she still loved Dennison. She and her husband never did live together and she intended on getting a divorce from him.
In January, Lynn was operated on for appendicitis and got along very well until the fifth day when she became suddenly worse and died 16 January 1940. Her last words were of Dennis and she had called for him at the last. He was working in Ogden and had come to Malad a couple days before to help put up ice for Bee’s store when he received word of her death. He felt so bad and had no way of going to the funeral as he had no car and the train and bus had gone, snow was deep and there was no one traveling, so he just sent flowers.
A few weeks later when he was able to get to Preston, he visited with Lynn’s mother and learned from her the truth of Lynn’s husband not even living with her and he had never met her Mother or been to the house and didn’t even attend the funeral. Had Dennis known this he would have gone to Preston if he had to walk.
Dennison returned back to Ogden and was still working for Toponce Trucking when on 4 July 1940 just six months after Lynn’s death, he had worked all night of the third so had slept in until late the next afternoon on the 4th. When he got up he dressed in his best clothes and went out for dinner. He met some friends , a Mr. and Mrs. Barrett and visited with them during the evening.
As they were parting to go to their homes, another couple and a girl met them on the corner. One of them suggested that they all go for a ride. Dennis said he didn’t have his car. Just then the man who had his car came by on his way to work the night shift, so Dennis told him he would drive him to work if he would let him have the car. He took Randel to work and then went back and picked up the two couples and the extra girl. They all decided to go swimming as it was such a warm night. Dennis went to his hotel room and got his bathing suit and they all went to Ogden Canyon to Pine View Dam where just the men went swimming. Dennison was a good swimmer, but the water was ice cold and he took cramps and couldn’t help himself. He called for help several times, but the others didn’t go to his rescue. He called again, then went down and was drowned…… His body wasn’t recovered until the next morning. Funeral 8 July 1940……
Dennison was born 2 June 1909. Blessed 23 June 1909 by his Grandfather Jones. Baptized 1 June 1917 by Luicuni Einzinger. Confirmed 3 June 1917 by Bishop N.N. Huff. He attended Sunday School, Primary, Religion Class and Priesthood meetings. He was ordained a Deacon 6 Nov 1922 by H.I. Mills. Ordained a Teacher Fredrick E. Jones. Ordained a Priest 16 Jan 1933 by Bishop Dr. O. H. Mabey. Ordained an Elder in June 1939 by Bishop W.W. Thomas. He was a Ward Teacher and instructor of the Boy Scouts in Mutual. He was a truck driver and was employed by Fuller and Toponce Trucking Co. of Ogden, Utah at the time of his death.