Grand marshall Demar Perkins

The Monticello Alumni is honoring 98-year-old DeMar Perkins as Alumni Grand Marshall at the Homecoming Parade and Roundup Festivities.
Graduating from Monticello High in 1937, DeMar is one of the oldest living Buckaroos.
Despite coming from humble beginnings, DeMar is a man of varied interests and talents. As a boy, he regularly rode on a horse to get him to the farm and back. DeMar remembers selling a horse and buying a bicycle. It was the only bicycle in town but he rode his horse for most trips.
DeMar was involved in sports in school but he recalls that they never had coaches for the teams, so the boys would just run and run and run. That helped him later on when he excelled in track and boxing. DeMar was also in plays and musicals.
Afterwards, DeMar attended Utah State University and was drafted.
His horsemanship allowed him to attend Cavalry training, where he rode a horse named Brigham Young. He was reassigned to Army Air Corp and became an airplane gunner.
While in the military, he met a cute little WAC named Helen Luther. They married in 1944 and moved to Minnesota. A few months later they returned to Monticello where they lived for 65 years.
Their three children graduated from Monticello High School, including Larry (‘63), Dan (‘65) and Kristine (‘67).
They were involved in civic and church affairs.
DeMar was involved in many lines of work, including farming, and ranching. He invented an implement trailer, sold real estate and life insurance and was heavily involved in mining, and oil leasing.
DeMar he has a library of more than 1,500 books. He has written several books, which he shares with family and friends.
DeMar and Helen served six stake and two full time missions for the LDS Church. They eventually moved to American Fork, UT. DeMar still finds every excuse he can to return to Monticello. He is especially honored to be the Grand Marshall.