Theodore "Ted" Kindred

Theodore “Ted” Kindred was born in Kansas City, MO on 12/22/1918.

Ted’s father, Henry H. Kindred, his mother, Joeett Helm Kindred, and his older brother Joseph, moved to Bentonville, Arkansas while Ted was very young. In Bentonville Ted’s father developed kerosene-fired egg incubators, and later worked as a Maytag salesman. Because Maytag’s wooden tubs cost more to ship than purchase, the family moved to Iowa in 1922, home of the Maytag Company.

Ted was a newspaper boy throughout his school years and the Depression. He joined the Navy and was home on leave when war was declared. He served on both coasts and in Australia, where he met Patricia “Pat” O’Keeffee. Continuing to serve in the Philippines and New Guinea, he assisted in evacuating missionaries. Ted is one of the oldest World War II veterans in Cache Valley.

After being discharged from the Navy, Ted and Pat were married and established a home in Newton, Iowa. Ted worked for Parsons Company, and Pat worked for Maytag. Ted later worked at Solar Aircraft in Des Moines, but in 1967 he took a job with Thiokol at Promontory. He retired from Thiokol in 1987.

Ted and Pat opened their home, dubbed “the Latin American Embassy” to entertain many of USU’s international students over the years. At their Logan Canyon summer home, they hosted writers during the Western Writer’s Conference, among them Jack Schaeffer, AB Guthrie, and Wallace Stegner.

Recognizing his special kinship with Native American people, Sioux Chiefs invited him to be their guest at the first legal public Sun Dance at the Porcupine Reservation in South Dakota. There he began a friendship with James Holy Eagle, grandson of Sitting Bull. Holy Eagle spent many summers with the Kindred’s before he died at 102.

A well-known collector of Americana and a reputed Utah historian, Ted was awarded the Thomas Kane Award for Mormon History. His home, the old Soren Hansen house on Hyrum’s Main Street, in on the National Historic Register, and is a monument to his love of beautiful artifacts, fine books, and furnishings.

Preserving the past has been Ted’s lifetime avocation; as a certified local government representative for the Department of Interior, he successfully preserved Hyrum’s Elite Hall, initiated a permanent home for the city museum, protection of the historic Hyrum Main Street, pioneer cabins, and secured funding for the Hyrum gazebo on city square. Ted has been a civic-minded, thoughtful member of the Hyrum City community for almost 50 years.

Throughout his lifetime, Ted has served in many roles within the community. He was a Cub Scout leader for the 3rd Ward, PTA President at Lincoln Elementary School, Post 47 American Legion Commander, and served two terms on the Hyrum City Library Board. Ted has been a member of the Knights of Columbus for several decades, and is one of the oldest 4th Degree Knights in the state of Utah. Since moving to Hyrum, Ted has served many roles as a parishioner of St Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church in Logan.

Ted has been a Board Member of Cache Historical Society for many years, received the Hyrum Citizen Award, made numerous contributions to the Jensen Historic Farm, and organized many programs at the Elite Hall, including the first art show.

Ted has shared his love of books and history with family, friends, and members of the community over the years. His private collection includes thousands of volumes of books, photographs, and antiques.

Ted’s family includes Timothy Kindred; Rebecca Kindred; Kathleen Lake; Patricia Miller; Linda Pisano; and son-in-law Sean Treiber; 18 grandchildren and 4 great grandchildren. His wife Pat died in 2000; his daughter Jennifer Treiber in 2009.

A viewing will be held Friday, January 6 from 6-8 pm at Nelson Funeral Home . Mass will be held Saturday, January 7 at 11:00am at St. Thomas Church in Hyde Park. Interment will be in Newton , Iowa. Funeral arrangements by Allen-Hall Mortuary.