Life Story of Wilfred Burrell

Autobiography edited by Wilfred Craig Burrell

My Birth 20 December 1914

            I believe at the time of my birth, Brother Herbert grew to be my extra father. With Mother being sick, he seemed to take me over together with my sister Gladys. Herbert and I seemed to have a mutual bond. I can barely remember him going on a mission to Northern England and can still remember the deep disappointment I felt when he immigrated to Salt Lake City in 1921. He was and still is a very tender spirit.

            I am grateful that all of my brothers and sisters grew up with a strong testimony of the Gospel and have all been very active in the Church. They married partners who have been very active and to this date many of their children and grandchildren have fulfilled missions. None have fallen away from the Church.

            As for myself, I grew up in a normal life starting at Thorpe Hamlet Kindergarten at the age of four years; my sister Doris taking me. I graduated to what was the big boy’s school, which was separate from the kindergarten. I was not a good student. In looking back, I know I could have done better. I had too much of a tendency to fool around. The only teacher I recall having a great impression on me was Mr. Chilvers. I recently wrote a letter to him, but to date have had no reply.

Secondary School 1924

            At the age of ten, I took a test to see if I could qualify for secondary school commonly called the Red Cap School. Somehow I passed the exam, but because the financial status of the family had increased, I would have to pay for my schooling. My brother Arthur, who had previously won a free scholarship and had now immigrated to America, came to our rescue. He felt it was very essential that I attend high school. Each time the money was due, he would send a check for it. I have since been very thankful for the extra education I received there.

            One of the friends I grew up with was Norman Brown, a member who later left the Church. Raymond Clark was my neighbor, a non member, who was a very fine person. At the age of ten, he moved away to Brundall, a semi rural town about five miles away. I spent many happy days and occasional nights at their place. I would ride over there on my bike.

            My bike was my means of transportation. I can remember receiving my first one when I was ten years old. I would ride it three and a half miles to school and also fifteen miles to the Norfolk broads to fish. Sometimes I rode to the coast, Yarmouth, Lowestoft, or Sea Palling which were eighteen to twenty seven miles away. I took great pride in my bikes. I always kept them in shape, clean and in good mechanical condition.

My Parents, Alfred and Emma Louisa Cogman Burrell

            Now I write an insight into the personalities of my parents. My mother was short and plump with a pleasant smile and a very strong sense of humor. She would sing around the house one song after another. She loved to sing. She had been raised in a large family and almost all her siblings were musically inclined. At that time, music and drama troupes would circulate around the towns bringing new songs. As a family, the Cogmans were quick to learn the songs. At that time, there were no movies or recording devices of any kind.

            Mother was a courageous little woman. I have seen her turn on a bunch of hecklers at a missionary street meeting. She would shake her black cane at them and give them a reprimand or voice a humorous remark that would make the balance of the crowd laugh at the hecklers.

            Mother was the stricter of my two parents- more so with my older brothers and sisters. She had feared that this was the reason for them to be so anxious to leave home for America. I assured her that this was not the case and felt that it was the will of the Lord. I am sure that she was much more lenient with me than she may have been with the others. I won’t say to whos advantage.

            Father had been brought up in quite a different atmosphere. He had never known his father, who had died when he was a baby. He had very little education because he quit school at the age of ten to learn the shoe making business. Thanks to this his children never went barefoot. From the age of eighteen until his retirement he worked for the railroad. He started as an engine cleaner and finally graduated to an engine driver. He was an engine driver when he retired.

            He was a reserved individual standing five feet nine inches tall. His walrus mustache was his most distinguishing feature. The grandchildren disliked being tickled by the mustache as he kissed them. While Mother could have a flair of temper, I cannot remember Dad getting really mad. I always felt he was wise in his decisions. He never bluffed when he did not know something. However, it seemed that he always knew a little more than he had spoken. People who knew him say I resemble him.

            I believe that Dad’s love besides his family was the Gospel. He had a strong testimony of its truthfulness and did his best to live it. Herbert commented, “Wilfred talks and writes like Dad. He has a similar action with his head, sings like him and has the same even temperament.”

            To return to my growing period, I was ordained a Deacon at the age of twelve. Prior to that time I was in the habit of helping Arthur clean up the sacrament table. I was doing this at a Conference where James E. Talmage was presiding. He asked me if I was a Deacon. I told him not quite yet. He suggested that I not touch the sacrament table until I was.

            We were often hosts to some of the Church authorities. Many of them ate or even slept in our humble abode. President John A. Wistoe and President Joseph Merrill were two that we hosted. I also remember David O. McKay having me stand by his side and tell me that I was a millionaire. Every part of my body was worth 10,000 pounds.

The Norwich Branch

            The Norwich Branch was small with a membership of 140 people. The Mormons were not popular enough to congregate in one edifice for very long. Sometimes we had to move in a hurry. Then the piano or organ would come into our home where we held cottage meetings. These meetings were also held in homes in other parts of town. During the years, many of the members left for America depleting our numbers.

            For a period of time, we were meeting in what was called ‘The Jews Hall’ in St. Benedict Street. On Sunday morning it was necessary to get there early to air out the place. The night before, the Jews had their Sabbath and a party; and the place reeked of smoke. It was then that the Mission president and Dad found the pretty little chapel at 60 Park Lane. I will not say that the dedication was uninterrupted. Hecklers, bad eggs and stink bombs attended the service.

            The new chapel was an answer to our prayers. It had the most beautiful stained glass widows, a pipe organ, a baptismal font, a recreation hall, a small foyer and a vestibule. I can still see the beautiful sign board announcing the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It showed our meeting schedule. At the bottom it said, “Surely the Lord God will do nothing except he revealeth His secrets to His servants the prophets.”

            It was in this little chapel that I grew up in the Gospel. For many years I was the Branch Clerk. I believe that I did everything but play the organ. My sister Doris did a very fine job on that. We had M.I.A and produced one act plays. We had minstrel shows all of which were very amateurish. Under the circumstances they were somewhat rewarding. We had dances, Gold and Green Balls and other activities.

            There were times when missionaries were scarce and the local brethren were sent out on circuit once or twice a month to the different branches. In 1935 when my Dad was made the District president, I would rent a car and the four of us would travel around on Sunday to the different branches.

            I might say that the Church had been the body of my life, but not entirely. Life at the City of Norwich School was not empty. I cannot say that I was the athletic type. I must admit that although I did not dislike English Football and Cricket, I was a complete flop at both.

            The education I received there was very comprehensive and provided a background to most all fields: Chemistry, Physics, Geometry, Algebra, and even higher math. We also studied History, Geography, Art, Physical Education, shop work, English and one foreign language. I took French. I was sixteen years old when I completed school. There were no formal graduations in the schools. Up to that time the only job I had was to sell records for a record store. I would dress in a page boy suit and do the running for the store. About that time, talking movies were just being introduced and also automatic record changers. I would go to the movie theatre where a new talking picture would be shown. I would stand in the lobby with a stack of records that had all the hit tunes. I would call out the name of the record store and call out the names of the songs. This way I would sell the records. The first record I sold this way was Al Jolson’s “Climb Upon My Knee Sonny Boy.”

1930 An Apprenticeship

            With school behind me, now I would have to face the world. I had always fooled around a little with electricity. I will mention that only a few years previous to this our family had its first experience with electricity in our home. Now we had 220 V DC electric lights; before this we only had an incandescent gas light in each room. Nevertheless, in 1930 we still had a gas oven to cook with and coal fires for heat.

            With new expectation for electricity, I wanted to be an electrician. The largest plant in England for the manufacture of generators and dynamos, Lawrence and Scotts, was in Norwich. I applied for work there and was hired. The work seemed so unimpressive for me at the time. They were making generators for the luxury liner, The Queen Mary. However, the job of stamping out armature plates held no thrill for me during an eight hour work day. I wanted to quit, but I can remember Dad saying, “Never throw away dirty water until you’re sure you have some clean.”

            My eldest brother, Alfred had been a watch maker’s apprentice to Marsden Willmott many years before. Marsden’s brother had married Dad’s sister Alice. Dad checked with him to see if there would be an opportunity to apprentice with him. The bargain was made. I was apprenticed to this trade for three years. My first year, I was to get five shillings per week and ten shilling a week for the second year. The third year I would receive fifteen shillings a week.

            My first job was to dismantle old watches and sort the parts. I could cry to think of some of the beautiful hand made movements that I had to destroy this way. England had just gone off the gold standard and the cases of these relics fetched a good price to be broken up for gold content. I learned to fix a lot of old English grandfather clocks and many French clocks to restoration. (Many of these relics were one hundred years old in 1930.)

            The Wimott store was located originally in Surrey Street. However, Wilmott had moved it to Prince of Wales Road a short distance from the Thorpe Railway Station. It stood across the river bridge.

            I remember in the early part of my apprenticeship being in the company of an older employee, Mr. Wiffl. We were to clean the clock in the tower of an old church at Poswick about three miles out of the town. The church was several hundred years old and had no electricity. We climbed musty stone steps to the belfry and tower. Then we ascended a wood ladder to the platform where the clock works were located. We had a flashlight and the Reverend provided us with some candles. We were to clean the clock with gasoline. I objected, but the older man was the boss. He placed a candle on one end of the platform and placed the container of gas on the other end next to the ladder. Suffice it to say that the container of gas caught fire. The old man panicked. He was ready to make a fifteen foot jump off of the platform. I said a quick prayer. Wiffl was dressed in a long smock. I pulled it off of him and smothered the flames. I do not know why the gasoline did not explode to this day.

1934 Working as a Watch Maker

            I stayed with Mr. Wilmott for an additional year after I completed my apprenticeship. Then I figured that I should get some more experience in another shop. I got a job with Tillot Jewelers in St. Giles. It was a family business and I worked out in the shop with a Mr. Lewis Brady. I enjoyed working there very much. They were very fine people. After two years there I started to make plans to move to Utah.

1937 The Burrells move to Utah

            My older brothers Alfred, Bert and Arthur and my older sister Gladys had been located in Utah for several years. In 1937 Dad had retired, and it was a hard decision for my parents to leave there homeland and join the rest of the family in Utah. As I have grown older, I can appreciate much more the extent of this decision.

            We left for America on May 8^th of 1937 on the S S Manhattan. Our family consisted of my parents, my older sister Doris and me. It was a pleasant trip. We noticed several missionaries on board the ship on their way home. While I watched them playing on the deck, I hummed “Come Come Ye Saints.” They eyed me curiously, and we introduced ourselves. We were the only English family on board, and they were glad to see us. There was one French family and 800 German Jews who were fleeing from the Hitler Natzi cleansing.

            While we were on board the ship, King Edward VIII abdicated from the English throne. Things were starting to boil in Europe. Mother was very nervous during the whole trip.

            Bert met us as we came off of the ship. It was a very happy reunion. We had not seen him for seventeen years. We toured around New York a while then we took the train to Chicago where we stayed over night. We toured Chicago a little on a bus. We then continued on the train to Utah where we were united with the rest of the family.

Settling into Utah

            In 1937 the United States had still not recovered from the Great Depression. Franklin Roosevelt had made great strides, but jobs were still hard to find. I could not find any work in Ogden where we were staying with Bert’s family. Then I heard of a small Jewelry store to be sold in Salt Lake City by a Mr. Brian Sear. He had not been in business long, but decided to give it up for a good job with the Ford Motor Company. He was asking $900 for the cabinets and equipment in the store including the inventory of stock. I would take over his lease. I had $300 saved. I borrowed another $600 and was in business for myself at the age of twenty two. I was new in town, not known, but I had high hopes.

A home on O Street

            Alfred, Emma, Doris and I moved to Salt Lake and moved into a little home on O Street. (Wilfred often told his children that it was a very inconvenient place since they had to travel a block to P). They settled into the 27^th Ward which was a lot different than their small branch in Norwich.

            Doris gave this account of her brother. “When Wilfred first came to America, he was quite an attraction to some of the girls in the neighborhood. One of them in particular was a frequent visitor. She came often to the house just to take a look at him, but he was never home. She thought he looked like Errol Flynn. We lived at 125 O Street at the time. He was active in the MIA and participated in plays and musicals in the 27^th ward where we first attended church.”

            I had some wonderful experiences in the 27^th Ward. I made some very fine friends. Among these were Durston and Ken Hardy, Robert Higham, the Murphy Brothers, Farrell McGhie and Dale Swensen. These have been lasting friends to this day. Later our family moved to a home Dad purchased on 1211 South Eighth East. We moved from the 27^th Ward to the 31^st Ward. Nevertheless, I still maintained my Church activities and affiliations in the 27^th Ward.

Wilfred and Kathryn

            Kathryn told the story of how Wilfred and she fist met. “On one occasion, Margery Lulow, a girl friend to my Cousin Durston Hardy, arranged for a group get-together up the canyon. I was a friend of Margery, and I arranged for a group of my friends to meet with them at the same place. This was the first time I met Wilfred. I was with a boy friend at the time. During the evening Wilfred sang a little English song that we now call the ‘Pig Song.’ It was a very silly song; however, it stimulated my interest in him. At a later date Margery and Durston invited Wilfred and me to go on a double date with them to Saltair. This was our first date about the first of July in 1939.”

            I recall my first impression of Kathryn. She was a congenial brown haired girl with an olive type complexion. I thought we hit it off right away. I did not know at the time I had so much competition. It took me over a year to put the competition aside and get engaged to her. Since then, Kathryn and I have formed a friendship which has ripened into a life-time companionship.

            My business was not exactly flourishing. I did not feel I could support a wife for a while. After an enjoyable courtship and a year’s engagement, we were married on my parent’s anniversary, April 11^th of 1941. We were sealed in the Salt Lake Temple by Apostle David O. McKay.

Wilfred and Kathryn start a life together

            We were very much in love. Kay, as she was often called, was working for Mr. Ludlow, her friend’s father, at Mountain States Supply.

            For our honeymoon, we took a trip to Los Angeles and San Francisco. We arrived at home just in time, because we had run out of money and gas. The gas stations across Nevada would not take a personal check. We ran out of gas in front of our basement apartment at 1080 South Lake Street.

            Later we moved into a basement apartment at the home of Kathryn’s parents on Eight East and Yale Avenue. While we were there, our first child, Kaylene was born. Our next move was to 1363 Thornton Avenue in 1944. We bought a brick bungalow. Craig and Charles were born while we were living there.

            In 1950 Ken Hardy and I bought neighboring one acre lots in the Cottonwood area. I bought some horses and enjoyed the place in the country. In 1954 I built a home on our lot at 2265 E. 6525 So. I did most of the construction work on the home except for laying the cinder block. Kathryn and I added to our family after we moved to Cottonwood. Connie and Kent were born while we lived there.