Don Travis Meikle

Smithfield, Utah: Don Travis Meikle died at age 87 on Saturday, May 27,2006, surrounded by family.
He was born June 3, 1918, in Smithfield, Utah, the 11th of 12 children born to John Henry Meikle and Susie Hind Meikle. He grew up in a world where farming was by horse. He was needed on the farm, so he quit high school his junior year. However, he never stopped learning, and he taught his children the value of education.
His father bought an ice-making business, and Don delivered 100-pound blocks to put in people's ice chests in their houses. When he was in his early 20's his mother wanted a new house. Don tore down the old house and built his parents a new one. By the time he was done, he knew how to build houses.
He then got a job doing road construction. By 1942, he was working in Ogden. One Sunday, December 7th, the boss came in and said "They've bombed Pearl Harbor. We're in the war." Within one month, Don was drafted and showed up for duty in the United States army. He served as a sergeant in the 1st Armored Division in Northern Africa, and in the invasion of Italy. He built roads and bridges, and cleared minefields. He received two Purple Heart awards, and was honorably discharged June 17, 1945.
On June 14, 1946, Don married Marie Stauffer of Mendon, Utah, in the Logan Temple. He built her a house next door to the one he had built for his mother. Don homesteaded land in western Utah, and ran his father's farm in Smithfield. Years later, he sold the homesteaded land, and bought more land on the south side of Crow Mountain to create a good farm. As president of the Smithfield North Bench Ditch company, Don led in the installation of one of the first large scale gravity-fed sprinkling systems in the valley.
Don and Marie raised three boys. Don raised his children in the gospel. He taught them how to work and how to be honorable citizens. He loved his wife, and they lived together just three weeks shy of sixty years.
Don was preceded in death by all his brothers and sisters, and by his oldest son D. Lynn Meikle, who passed away in 1990. He is survived by his wife; by his son Brent H. Meikle and wife RaDene, of Farmington, Utah; by his son Ted S. Meikle and wife Jill, of Minneapolis, Minnesota, and by Evelyn B. Meikle of Smithfield, Utah, wife of D. Lynn Meikle. Don is also survived by 16 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren (with 2 more on the way).
Services will be held at 1 :00 p.m., Saturday, June 3, 2006, at the LD.S. chapel at 179 North 100 East, in Smithfield, Utah. Family and friends may call 1 1/2 hours prior to the services. Burial will be in the Smithfield cemetery. Arrangements by Allen-Cranney Mortuary, North Logan.
Condolences may be sent to the family at www:allenmortuaries.net.