Tabiona Celebration - Where Everyone Knows Your Name - July 2011

By: Ginger Casper

Carolyn Pilling Giles has been chosen to co-represent the Tabiona, Hanna Valley as Grand Marshall for the July 4th celebration with Florence Turnbow.

    "I was born June 21,1939 in Duchesne, Utah to John LeRoy and Retta Margret Pilling. We lived on a farm in Hanna, Utah that my Grandma Pilling homesteaded. She was one of the first women to come to Hanna. She came with four small children. -

    When I was young I would ride the mail truck to Duchesne to stay with my grandmother, and Aunts. My uncle Dean Powell drove the mail truck from Duchesne to Hanna.

1 loved to ride horses. I had an old horse whose name was Flicka. I was too small to get on him so 1 would lead him over to a wooden storage bin, climb up and jump on. I rode him bareback. I can remember the rodeo grounds at Danny and Carol Fabrizios'.

They would have horse races on the gravel road. My mom was rodeo queen one year.

    1 married my high school sweetheart, Ed Giles on September 29th, 1956, in Salt Lake City. We have 3 children, one deceased. I now have 11 grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren. We would come home to Hanna often. We loved going to the

Grand Daddy Lakes, and to the rodeos they had. Ed once pulled me on a cow hide in the hide race. 1 would sometimes barrel race.

    We lived in Murray, Taylorsville, and South Jordan. Ed and I had an upholstery shop for awhile and stopped doing that and started training and racing horses full time. We had stallions, breed mares and raised baby colts. We both belonged to ridding clubs. Ed was in the Sheriff's Posse. They would do the pageantry of the horse. Ed was theBen Hur and drove the chariot. We would go to rodeos and put on the skit. ft was a lot

of fun. I later joined the Silver Spur riding club. We would perform drills and rode in parades. 1 did club events. 1 rode in the Days of 47 Parade as matched pairs with my neighbor. We won first prize.

    Ed decided that he wanted to train race horses, around 1980. We got so busy we had to quit the ridding clubs. We ran horses in Utah, Wyoming, Idaho, Colorado, New Mexico and Texas. We retired in October 1995 and moved back to the ranch in Hanna where we farmed, raised cattle, and breed Quarter horses. On June 14th, 2005 Ed passed away from an R.V. accident.

    1 still farm a little bit. I have two brood mares and babies which are in New Mexico. I like to raise a big garden in the summer time and share it with others. 1 work at the Vernal Temple on Fridays and work with the Young Women in the church. I love living here in this beautiful valley. It is an honor to be asked to be a grand marshal with Florence Turnbow."

Carolyn has contributed much to this valley. She has shared her time and talent unselfishly with many people. Her beautiful crocheted and quilted items and good home cooking has warmed the hearts and souls of many friends. She is always willing to help

those who need comforting or just a friendly smile.

    Florence Rhoades Turnbow has been chosen to co-represent the Tabiona, Hanna Valley as Grand Marshall for the July 4th celebration with Carolyn Giles

    "I was born September 3,1923 in Provo, Utah to Joseph and Ada Wagstaff Rhoades. 1 am the youngest of seven children. elda and Vera died the-day-after thety were born. Leo Ray died as a toddler. Arvel and my sister Della Clements are both deceased. Burnell is now 91 and 1 am 87. My ancestors all came to the valley and settled in 1905. They were one of the first families to start homesteading the valley. They built homes, began farming, raising livestock and planting gardens preparing everything needed for others to follow.

    1 received my education in the valley. The elementary school was in an old Indian house at Farm Creek. In the 6th grade the kids were bused to the Tabiona School. 1 played the clarinet in the band. We marched in the 24th of July celebration in Salt Lake in 1939 and 1940.
    1 married Leo "M" Turnbow on September 3, 1923. I had known him all of my life. He was one of the first men from here to volunteer for the army during WWII
My first home was a sheep camp on Wolf Creek where Leo logged. We had 5 boys. Lynn, Jerry Doyle, Boyd and a son Sammy Lee who died at 18 months. We were also blessed with twin girls, Marsha and Marva. Leo passed away on February 9, 1999. We had been married for 59 years.

    The first 4th celebration that I can remember was held in front of the Hanna Store. They had horse racing, games and races for the kids and lots of goodies. My Dad gave me a whole dime to spend. That was great! The rodeo was always held just above Art Fabrizio's house in Hanna, where Danny and Carol now have the Over the Hill
RV Park. Leo was the "pick-up man" for many years and I cooked hamburgers and really enjoyed it. The rodeo was later moved to Levaughn Gines property by the river. There was always a good time, lots of food, and entertainment. During the Centennial celebration I got to ride in the parade as the "Quilt Lady", and show some of my quilts. My family won first place for our float in the 1999 parade and again in 2005 for "Best of Theme."
    Florence's contributions to the community and the people in the valley are endless. She has spent her life serving others, her church and her family. When Sammy died, she started planting grass on his grave. This act soon spread to other plots in the cemetery. Every once in a while a few ladies would come and help and sometimes relatives from Salt Lake would send a few dollars out to buy grass seed. For 24 years she drug hoses around, mowed and loving cared for the deceased ancestors. Her "lone star quilts" have gone all over the world. They have helped buy an organ for the church and they keep the majority of the families the valley warm on a cold night. - -

    She is a credit to this beautiful valley. Her commitment, devotion and love have touched the lives of many.

    "I have lived here all my life and have no intention of leaving. Thank you all for this honor."