George Alfred Cordon Dabling

Brief Life History of George Alfred Cordon Dabling

George Alfred Cordan Dabling was born at Midway, Utah 28 July 1863. He was blessed 23 Aug, 1863 by George Dabling at Midway. He was baptized 4 July 1872 and was confirmed on the same date by George Dabling at Midway, Utah. When he was twelve years of age, his parents were called on a mission to Arizona to settle new country and live the United Order. He made the trip with his parents traveling by team and wagon. I remember his telling that one night when they were in camp, a man was stung by a scorpion. All was excitement. My father was asleep in a wagon but heard the noise of people asking what to do. He raised up and said, “put black mud on it,” and went back to sleep. They followed his advice and next morning, when they took the mud off, the mud was green. The man had a bad leg for some time, but he did not die or lose his leg. Another story I remember his telling of this mission: one day he and Keplar Sessions were out riding on the desert. They were suffering and so were their horses from thirst. The depended on finding holes where water was standing from the last rain. They could find no holes and they could not go on without water. They sky was clear-no sign of rain. They decided to ask help of our Heavenly Father, so knelt in prayer. An immediate answer came in the way of a large cloud coming up and a heavy rain for half an hour.

They drank their fill and continued their journey. They spent some time in Arizona, but I do not know how long. Then they came back to Utah to sell some property and President Abram Hatch of Wasatch Stake had them released from their mission. They made a home in Wallsburg. In 1881 he married Ada Glenn. Twelve children were born to them, ten of them attaining man and womanhood. The last two children were twins, born July 5, 1906 in Provo, Utah. They were Lilly and Lisle. They died 5 July, 1906 at Provo and are buried at Wallsburg. George A. Dabling was an active member of the ward in Wallsburg. He served as ward clerk, ward organist, ward teacher, and President of YMMIA, but no record of time nor years is available. He was also active in organizing bands, orchestras, and choirs among the young people of the town. At the time of the Spanish American War, he was the leader of the only brass band in Wasatch County and took his band as an escort to the two boys who enlisted from Wallsburg, to the county seat, which was Heber City. His daughter Essie played lead cornet and was at the time the only female member of the band and because of the fact that some of the men were drinking and getting rather boisterous, he refused to let her go farther than Charleston, so his band was rather handicapped when they arrived in Heber. His band used to give Sunday afternoon concerts on the streets – play for all celebrations and occasions requiring a band. He organized orchestras to play for dances and parties. He was also active in home dramatics and in anything and everything that was for the betterment of the town in which he lived. He kept town store and post office for many years. He was perhaps not a very successful businessman and latter on his life he worked at many jobs. He was a section hand, track walker, etc., for the D. and R.G. in Provo Canyon. He was a stationary engineer in Provo and Heber for the same company. Then he went to Eureka and worked as a miner at the Blue Rock Mine. While there, he played in the Miners’ Band in Eureka. From there he went to Lund, Idaho as ranch foreman for W.O. Creer. He went there in 1909. He worked some years for Mr. Creer then worked his own farm for many years. In Lund, he organized an orchestra in his own family and furnished music for programs, parties, socials, and dances for many years. He also organized home talent dramatic companies and put on shows In Lund and surrounding towns. He served many years as assistant S. S. superintend and was released from that position to become counselor to Biship P. P. Lechtenbuerg and after Bishop Lentenberg’s death, he was counselor to Bishop George Kutterer. He also served as a ward teacher for many years. He died July 3, 1925 at Sode Springs Hospital (Idaho) after an operation. He was buried at Lund, Idaho. Speaker at his funeral were W. O. Creer of Provo Stake, Keplar Sessions of Idaho Stake Presidency, Bishop Kutterer, and Bishop Reddish. He was a large man weighing around 200 lbs, had blue eyes and brown hair, which went gray before he died, and a red mustache.

Copied from Ada E. Dabling Phillips notes by Florence M. Dabling in 1957. 9 Jan, 2024: George A. Dabling is my great grandfather. My mother told me she would following him out to the fields. He always insisted she wear a hat so the birds wouldn’t get her brain. She said he was a very, very kind man

A search of the Bureau of Land Management files shows that George Dabling homesteaded 160 Acres in Midway Utah depicted below.