Roger Orton

at M men and Gleaners

When I was 9 years old I lived with my mother in Clearfield . My best friend was Bobby Walker. We were the terrors of the neighborhood and it seemed that if there was trouble to be found, we would find it. I guess I wasn't as smart as Bobby, because I always got caught, and Bobby didn't. One time my Mother said” why are you not a good boy like Bobby, he never gets into trouble”. My mother was tired of my antics and went to the Police and told them to take me, because she couldn’t control me. I was sent to live on a Foster home in West Layton where I attended Layton Grade School . Since I was the kid from the Foster home I was branded instantly as a trouble maker. School teachers seemed to go out of their way to put me in my place. I was given the men as teachers so they could handle me and many times they beat the crap out of me. I am saying this because it made me feel worthless.

I had a terrible inferiority complex. I took an industrial arts class at Central junior high, and did quite well in the projects. I remember asking my teacher if my projects were good enough for me to get a C for a grade. He was surprised and said I was the best student in the class and he was going to make me his assistant. That was the first A I had ever received in school, D’s and F’s were my norm. This small success started a change in my life.



At 16 years of age I moved back with my Mother and started as a sophomore at CHS. Since I had lived in Layton and knew many of the people at Davis high I felt cheated that I wouldn’t be able to attend Davis High. My older sister was a Junior at Davis , so there was an instant “Rivalry” within my own family. I was on the football team and soon started to get the good old ”Falcon Spirit”. We were the starting point of a new Horizon. I remember being right in the middle of choosing the school colors, mascot, letter jackets, and school rings. We were very close and I felt a comradery that I had never felt before.

Unfortunately it didn’t work being back with my family so I went to live with Keith Cox’s family. I didn’t fit in so I left and lived in Ogden with my Grandparents, for a while, then with my Sister. I still came to CHS. I remember getting up early in the morning and hitchhiking to school. I then went back to live on the Foster Home in Layton . At last I could go back to Davis High. A funny thing happened! I FELT I WOULD BE A TRATOR TO MY BELOVED CHS, if I did that, so I drove my motorcycle rain or shine, in the snow from west Layton to be able to finish at CHS.

I excelled in auto mechanics and was chosen to represent CHS in the Plymouth Trouble Shooting contest. The competition was held at the Utah State Fair Grounds. All the high schools in Utah chose their best students, then they competed by diagnosing and repairing about 20 major problems in individual cars. The first one to complete all correctly got a trip to Detroit Michigan . Fortunately I was the fastest and received the first,”First in the State” trophy for CHS. I told this story because it was the first time in my life I was the best in anything. If I went to Davis High, I would have never had that opportunity. This was the second life changing experience I had.

I hope the above wasn’t boastful or boring to all of you. Since CHS I have served a Mission in England , attended college at Weber State , the University of Utah , and Harvard University . Married my Bride of 40 years in the SLC Temple , had 7 children, and 12 grandchildren, enlisted in the USAF, became an Officer, and became a pilot. I flew all around the USA and became an Instructor in Supersonic Jets. My last assignment was flying Navigator Students in their training in Sacramento Ca. I got out of the Air force and started a business designing food dehydrators for home and commercial uses. We were very successful and were listed #85 on Ink’s Magazine list of 500 fastest growing small companies. We sell our machines all over the world. I did that for 35 years and sold the company to my oldest daughter and retired in 2005. I have been Very active in the LDS church. Susan and I were ordinance workers in the Oakland Temple and are now serving in the Sacramento Temple . We have done so for 7 years. Most of my free time is spent in my hobby of restoring antique cars and motorcycles.

We never know what effect we have on others lives. Since I didn’t have a very loving home I always wanted to have that opportunity in my life. I was a keen observer. I looked at Coach Grant, Steve Barlow, David Heath, and Bruce Stephenson and their families. I wanted to be like them. The one thing they had in common was the Church. I felt the spirit in their homes. That helped me in some of the most trying times. Thanks for all that you as members of the Class of 63 have done in my life. Roger Orton

Paignton, Penzance, Bristol, & Torque cities in England, Sacramento Ca.San Antonio & Big Spring Texas

I have a 20 acre mountain property that I am Building a 9 bedroom 2 story real Log cabin, I have a 1938 Mercedes 540K Special Roadster. I want to show it in the Pebble Beach Concourse

Hard work and determination will always win in the end,Don't give up.