Biography of Ephraim Adamson
A.D. 1881–1942
by Zina Eliza (Woodland) Adamson
Ephraim Adamson was born in Rangarnö, Väddö, Stockholmslän, Sweden, on January 1, 1881, son of Anders Adamson and his wife Margaret Catherina Mattsdotter.
He was baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Richmond, Cache, Utah, on June 6, 1889, by William G. Danielsson and confirmed the same day by W. K. Burnham.
He was ordained as an elder on April 6, 1908, by Lewis Burnham and called on a mission for the Church to Sweden.
He received his endowment in the temple in Logan and departed for Sweden on April 24, 1908.
He was in charge of the group going over.
He served in Norrköping and Vingåker for most of his term of 30 months, during which period his father died.
On the return trip he was put in charge of the company of missionaries and saints sailing from Liverpool on the S.S. Laurentii, October 15, 1910.
On October 18, 1911, he married Zina Eliza Woodland in the Logan temple by Thomas Morgan.
He received a patriarchal blessing on August 18, 1916, from William Hodson.
He was ordained a High Priest on March 11, 1934, by J. E. Johnson.
He died in Park City, Summit County, Utah, on May 27, 1942, and was buried there on May 31, 1942.
When his parents emigrated to Richmond, Utah, in 1884, Ephraim was only three years old — too young to realize what a struggle it was for them to get started in a new world.
He would soon learn for himself about the struggles of life the hard way.
He attended public school through the sixth grade.
Then, as was very common for young boys in those days, he dropped out in order to help his parents on the farm
— long hours, low wages, plenty tough for a growing boy!
The main farms in Richmond were the McCarry’s and the Apostle Merrill’s, who had four or five wives and had built lovely homes for them.
As Lydia put it, “Eph worked on the farm, whereas his sons went to Logan to school” (excuse it, I’m getting off the track).
As soon as he was old enough he took off on his own to try his hand at mining.
No doubt he liked it; he stayed with it for many years.
He tried it at Silver City (Butte, Montana) and more than twenty-five years in Park City, mostly at the Judge and Silver King mines.
He was foreman for a while.
He was blessed not to have any serious injuries.
He had an infected knee once that put him in the hospital for a while
— caused by falling ore breaking the skin open.
He was an active member of the local miners’ union No. 99, of which he was president [marginal note: could be they didn’t call them “presidents”].
He was also on the board of the Miner’s Hospital when they owned and ran the place.
The year you [Ella, 1920] was born he spent in Brighton, the Alta mine, working for Dave Scott.
He couldn’t get a job after a strike [1936].
Hate to say it, I think he was black-balled.
He came home on snow shoes a couple of days before you was born.
Condition was bad in the mines so they put up a fight — a school of hard knocks.
I’d say he was self-educated and was well informed.
He did a lot of thinking and studying — all the school books he could get a hold of through the years.
He took a correspondence course in mineralogy and received his certificate, another one in law.
He bought a set of law books and was well on the way when he learned that one could not practice law without a high school certificate, and so he gave it up.
The knowledge came in handy when he was sheriff.
One good point — he retained what he read.
He served two years as a city councilman before he was elected sheriff on the Democratic ticket in November 1930, serving two terms.
It was an experience for all of us.
He was happy he could get out of the mines for a while.
Less pay though, $1500 a year and a family to support.
He had both depression years and prohibition to contend with.
He was ever on the alert for stills in hills and homes.
He was well-known throughout the entire county.
He had hosts of friends and admirers.
I believe the strike that occurred while he was in office was the most trying thing for him as the sheriff is in the middle of everything and they gave him a bad time.
I can’t recall dates.
You probably remember a lot of things; I’m sure Lee can help.
He seems to remember incidents from the beginning.
All in all it was a different experience and we had many good times together.
He was head of the genealogical society for a long time when first organized in the Park City Ward.
They met in members’ homes for a time.
He was a Ward Teacher for several years.
Many told me how much they enjoyed his visits.
He also did some temple work with his mother in Logan.
From 1939 he didn't have a steady job, just odd jobs.
He worked for Johnny Fritch in his mine and on the police force.
The first I noticed Dad was failing was in August 1941 — he was pale and didn’t seem himself.
I blamed it on worry about work.
Finally he went to Dr. Barta, who called it intestinal flu.
There was no relief, so we sent him to a clinic in Salt Lake.
They soon found that it was a well advanced case of obstruction of the bowel caused by a cancer.
He was operated on on December 7, 1941.
He spent some time in the L.D.S. Hospital.
[by daughter Ella]
Mother nursed Dad at home for some time.
I know it was a very stressful time for her.
He died at the Miner’s Hospital in Park City, Utah.
Dad has left a great imprint on me.
He was a practical person with very definite ideas which he had little trouble expressing.
He was a real philosopher.
I can remember times when I would come home from school in Logan [Utah State Agricultural College].
He would get me in a discussion on some controversial issue.
After we had gone at it for some time, he would always end up saying that I was just a parrot, that I was just repeating what I had been told by others or what I had read, rather than thinking for myself.
I’m afraid he was right.
As a result of these kinds of encounters one didn’t get high and mighty.