In 1946 while hauling and contracting with the dump truck, Denzel met Jay Harris. They instigated buying a block plant. It was located by the railroad tracks. They bought it and moved it to a bigger lot on the highway to Salt Lake. They needed a bigger, faster way to make block so they bought a semi-automatic machine. There were busy years and slower years, but it steadily increased growing bigger. Denzel knew he needed an automatic plant to increase production to meet the demand of building. This was built by Henderson. It was one of the most modern plants in the United States or any place.
In the way of Church work he has been busy, He was secretary of Sunday School in Davenport in 1922, Sunday School Superintendent in Alliance, Neb.,& MIA First Assistant in Spring City, Utah. Shortly after coming to Las Vegas, they were asked to serve on the ward Genealogy Committee, both ward and stake. He was President of the Second Quorum of Elders from October 1947 to June 1931. He served on the Board of Directors of the Ensign Credit Union. In 1968 he was elected chairman.
When the first came to Las Vegas, they were members of the First Ward, Moapa Stake. Then in the North Las Vegas Ward, then in the Second Ward, Las Vegas Stake. Then in Las Vegas North Stake, now Las Vegas Central Stake. They had been living in the same place, so one can see how fast the church was growing in Las Vegas.
Denzel was made Second Ward Clerk on Aug 2, 1966 to Sept 10 1967. YMMIA Superintendent Aug 1967 to Sept 677, Second Counselor to Bishop Richard G Worthen Sept 10, 19678 to Feb 23, 1968, First Counselor to Bishop Milton Lee Earl Feb 1968 to Aug 1972. First Counselor to Bishop Worthen Aug 1972 to May 1975. Then High Council 1975 to 1978.
[Denzel and Loa] were called on a Mission to Texas Dallas 7 Jan. 1978 to July 31, 1979. Since they have been home, Denzel has been on the High Council in charge of buildings. He was busy taking the Second Ward Building down to make way for the freeway when he lost his balance on a ladder. He could tell he was falling so he saw a clear spot and jumped. He crushed both heels and had casts on until recently. Now he is walking again. He has a lot of determination.
He is a wonderful father and is respected and loved by everyone.
Written by Denza Wright (We believe this may have been for a talk of some sort while Denzel was still living).
Wednesday, November 4, 2015
Denzel Nelson Aiken-part 2 of 3
Denzel Nelson Aiken-part 2 of 3
Since business was slow because of the Depression, they moved to Sterling, Colo, then back to Alliance, but business was slow still. Denzel's mother [Mary Jane Nielsen Aiken] fell and hurt her leg and it turned into cancer of the bone. She passed away 28 December 1933. She was a stately, graceful lady, a good reader and speaker, and a wonderful mother.
In 1933 they moved to Salt Lake but the Depression was so great that business was bad. In the spring of 1934 he went shearing with his father and brothers, Vero and Terrance. He went shearing in Wyoming for four years. He traded his car for a down payment on a truck. He hauled logs and coal. In 1936 he hauled pipe for water to Spring City from Provo. In the city it was easy to distribute the pipes, but in the mountains, he had to do it by horseback and pack saddle.
The family was still in Salt Lake, but Sophia had tuberculosis and was getting worse. She passed away 27 June 1938. The moved to Spring City were the work was.
In the Spring of 1940 he bought a home in Spring City and in July he married Loa Allred in the Manti Temple. He worked in Idaho and Delta that winter. He took over his dad's service station and ran it for a time.
In November 1941 he went to Las Vegas to work. Then in May 1942 moved his family down. Verna had graduated from North Sanpete High. They were concerned about the environment for the children, but after being here awhile, they knew it was all right.
They lived in a tent in the summer but bought a trailer in the fall. They bought a lot and built a house at 306 North 11th Street (They lived there until approximately 1995.)
Verna was married to Grant Erickson Nielsen Dec 23, 1942 in the Manti Temple. Grant worked with his dad with sheep in Mount Pleasant, Utah. They sold that and bought a cattle ranch in Meeker, Colorado. They had 6 children: Larry, Wayne, DeLayne, Craig, Ruth and Scott. Denza graduated from Las Vegas High [and] attended BYU. She received her Bachelor Degree and taught English at Vegas High. She was called to Norway on a mission (1953-55). While there, she met the Aase family. Kristian wanted to come to America, so they had him live with them. They also helped Jack and Hjordia Berg-Olsen come over. After returning, Denza taught English at Rancho [High] for 2 1/2 years. Then she met George Loyal Wright and the were married in the Salt Lake Temple 19 Sept 1958. They have 5 children: David, Georgeann, Rosalyn, Judy and Barbara,
Since business was slow because of the Depression, they moved to Sterling, Colo, then back to Alliance, but business was slow still. Denzel's mother [Mary Jane Nielsen Aiken] fell and hurt her leg and it turned into cancer of the bone. She passed away 28 December 1933. She was a stately, graceful lady, a good reader and speaker, and a wonderful mother.
In 1933 they moved to Salt Lake but the Depression was so great that business was bad. In the spring of 1934 he went shearing with his father and brothers, Vero and Terrance. He went shearing in Wyoming for four years. He traded his car for a down payment on a truck. He hauled logs and coal. In 1936 he hauled pipe for water to Spring City from Provo. In the city it was easy to distribute the pipes, but in the mountains, he had to do it by horseback and pack saddle.
The family was still in Salt Lake, but Sophia had tuberculosis and was getting worse. She passed away 27 June 1938. The moved to Spring City were the work was.
In the Spring of 1940 he bought a home in Spring City and in July he married Loa Allred in the Manti Temple. He worked in Idaho and Delta that winter. He took over his dad's service station and ran it for a time.
In November 1941 he went to Las Vegas to work. Then in May 1942 moved his family down. Verna had graduated from North Sanpete High. They were concerned about the environment for the children, but after being here awhile, they knew it was all right.
They lived in a tent in the summer but bought a trailer in the fall. They bought a lot and built a house at 306 North 11th Street (They lived there until approximately 1995.)
Verna was married to Grant Erickson Nielsen Dec 23, 1942 in the Manti Temple. Grant worked with his dad with sheep in Mount Pleasant, Utah. They sold that and bought a cattle ranch in Meeker, Colorado. They had 6 children: Larry, Wayne, DeLayne, Craig, Ruth and Scott. Denza graduated from Las Vegas High [and] attended BYU. She received her Bachelor Degree and taught English at Vegas High. She was called to Norway on a mission (1953-55). While there, she met the Aase family. Kristian wanted to come to America, so they had him live with them. They also helped Jack and Hjordia Berg-Olsen come over. After returning, Denza taught English at Rancho [High] for 2 1/2 years. Then she met George Loyal Wright and the were married in the Salt Lake Temple 19 Sept 1958. They have 5 children: David, Georgeann, Rosalyn, Judy and Barbara,
Denzel Nelson Aiken life story by Denza Wright--part 1 of 3
I found this story recently in a stack of papers I was going through & wondered it everyone else had a copy of it. It supposedly was written by Denza Aiken Wright, but the handwritten name at the bottom "Denza Wright"looks more like Loa's handwriting than Denza's. Either way, here it is [I'm breaking it into 3 parts, since each will take awhile to type up]:
Denzel Nelson Aiken
He was born April 9, 1901, the fourth child of Lorenzo Wilson Aiken and Mary Jane Nielsen in Spring City, Utah. He started to school Sept 1907. Thy lived in the mountains the summer of 1911. Grandmother Nielsen took him to Manti to be baptized in the temple. Old Fly and the buggy was the means of transportation--18 miles. He couldn't remember of starting school on time or going until it closed because of having to herd cows. The summer of 1918 he went to Castle Gate to get his first job, away from home. That winter he went to Snow College with his sister Opal until the flu epidemic. Because of school closing, he worked at the Moroni Sugar Factory until it was over, and then went to Castle Gate. He lived with his brother Evan and his wife Ruth. [They] dug coal together. That winter he attended school at North Sanpete 1919-1920 and drove the Nash school bus.
The summer of 1920 he tended his dad's farm until he came from shearing. His brother Vero went to Malad, Idaho to work on a farm. After that, he went to Castle Gate driving a mule pulling coal. On March 23, 1921 he married Sophia Rees in the Manti Temple. They left immediately for Davenport, Iowa. He graduated from the Palmer Chiropractic School Oct 6, 1922 with a D.C. Ph Degree. He bought a sign making business which put him through school along with his wife Sophia working at Griffin's Cafe and Palmer's school cafeteria. He was secretary of the Sunday School there in Davenport.
Oct 1922 they went to Alliance, Nebraska. He started practicing Chiropractics with James O. Meeks. Verna their daughter was born 17 April 1924. When she was 6 weeks old, they took a vacation to Utah in a Model T Ford. They got in a bad snow storm in Wyoming and were worried about the baby getting too cold. They drove on and the weather improved. Later the wiring under the hood caught on fire and took 4 hours to fix. As they came into Weber Canyon, the whole valley was so beautiful--covered with fruit trees in bloom. They felt like they were in the Garden of Eden.
After a nice visit with their parents and families, they went back and enjoyed a good practice for several years.
There was a good Sunday School back there with 50% converts. The missionaries were in their home often and always welcome. They saw Pres. Coolidge in the Black Hills of South Dakota at his summer "White House." On the way home a terrible rain storm made the roads muddy. The spokes of the car were filled with mud and people got out, took off their shoes, sox and rolled up their pants to push the cars up the hill. Denzel was lucky as their car had disk wheels that worked better.
The next few years were uneventful other than the usual business and church work. In the Spring of 1929 they bought a new car, an Oldsmobile, and took a vacation to Utah. [They] just got back when the stock market crashed, and the banks failed. Businesses went broke and what made it worse, they were in the dust bowl area so the crops were poor or failed completely.
Denza was born 23 Dec 1929. It was a really cold winter. Verna was in school and got whooping cough. Denza took it too. It was the most severe of the childhood diseases. During that winter, Verna had a accident with a car running over her, but actually she was between the wheels and did not get hurt. Denzel was so thankful she was not hurt. Verna said that Heavenly Father was sure watching over her. The family agreed. [end of part 1]
Denzel Nelson Aiken
He was born April 9, 1901, the fourth child of Lorenzo Wilson Aiken and Mary Jane Nielsen in Spring City, Utah. He started to school Sept 1907. Thy lived in the mountains the summer of 1911. Grandmother Nielsen took him to Manti to be baptized in the temple. Old Fly and the buggy was the means of transportation--18 miles. He couldn't remember of starting school on time or going until it closed because of having to herd cows. The summer of 1918 he went to Castle Gate to get his first job, away from home. That winter he went to Snow College with his sister Opal until the flu epidemic. Because of school closing, he worked at the Moroni Sugar Factory until it was over, and then went to Castle Gate. He lived with his brother Evan and his wife Ruth. [They] dug coal together. That winter he attended school at North Sanpete 1919-1920 and drove the Nash school bus.
The summer of 1920 he tended his dad's farm until he came from shearing. His brother Vero went to Malad, Idaho to work on a farm. After that, he went to Castle Gate driving a mule pulling coal. On March 23, 1921 he married Sophia Rees in the Manti Temple. They left immediately for Davenport, Iowa. He graduated from the Palmer Chiropractic School Oct 6, 1922 with a D.C. Ph Degree. He bought a sign making business which put him through school along with his wife Sophia working at Griffin's Cafe and Palmer's school cafeteria. He was secretary of the Sunday School there in Davenport.
Oct 1922 they went to Alliance, Nebraska. He started practicing Chiropractics with James O. Meeks. Verna their daughter was born 17 April 1924. When she was 6 weeks old, they took a vacation to Utah in a Model T Ford. They got in a bad snow storm in Wyoming and were worried about the baby getting too cold. They drove on and the weather improved. Later the wiring under the hood caught on fire and took 4 hours to fix. As they came into Weber Canyon, the whole valley was so beautiful--covered with fruit trees in bloom. They felt like they were in the Garden of Eden.
After a nice visit with their parents and families, they went back and enjoyed a good practice for several years.
There was a good Sunday School back there with 50% converts. The missionaries were in their home often and always welcome. They saw Pres. Coolidge in the Black Hills of South Dakota at his summer "White House." On the way home a terrible rain storm made the roads muddy. The spokes of the car were filled with mud and people got out, took off their shoes, sox and rolled up their pants to push the cars up the hill. Denzel was lucky as their car had disk wheels that worked better.
The next few years were uneventful other than the usual business and church work. In the Spring of 1929 they bought a new car, an Oldsmobile, and took a vacation to Utah. [They] just got back when the stock market crashed, and the banks failed. Businesses went broke and what made it worse, they were in the dust bowl area so the crops were poor or failed completely.
Denza was born 23 Dec 1929. It was a really cold winter. Verna was in school and got whooping cough. Denza took it too. It was the most severe of the childhood diseases. During that winter, Verna had a accident with a car running over her, but actually she was between the wheels and did not get hurt. Denzel was so thankful she was not hurt. Verna said that Heavenly Father was sure watching over her. The family agreed. [end of part 1]
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