Grover cattle, crops, and education build San Juan County traditions

by Janet Wilcox
Contributing writer
Jess Morris Grover was a well-rounded educator who learned about animals and work from his father and taught those same principles to his family. 
They in turn continue to teach those same principles to their children.  Before becoming an Ag teacher at San Juan High in 1940, Jess was a cowboy in northern Utah and also worked at the USU dairy for several years.  ‘He cowboyed with the Browning Livestock Company in northern UT, and WY.
When Jess graduated from high school, he didn’t plan to go to college. However, his teacher Mark Nichols, told him if he had the desire, he would be able to work his way through and graduate. 
He only had 10 cents in his pocket when he left for USU.  He worked and studied for five years, first earning a bachelors degree and then completing the requirements to be a teacher.
In mid-September the State Board for Agriculture called saying there was a Vocational / Ag teaching position available in Blanding.   
He graduated midterm, then went to Blanding with Ray Perkins, his roommate. He lived with Joe Nielson, Bud Nielson and Carl Perkins while he was a school teacher first year.   
Shortly after he began teaching at San Juan High, a student (Afton Hurst) came to interview him for The Rattler. One of the questions she asked was about Leap Year and if girls could propose? He told her girls weren’t forward enough to do that! 
Singles in those days often had socials at the Blue Mountain Dude Ranch and that’s where, a few weeks later, he once-again met Afton Hurst. They danced a lot.
However, Jess was engaged to girl up north but when he went home for Christmas, things had changed, so he determined to pursue Afton.
But... the school district didn’t approve of teachers dating students. Never one to back down, Jess reminded Zenos Black that not only he – the principal – but also the coach and the seminary teacher had all married local girls! 
The Saturday after Afton’s graduation they got their marriage license, then bought a new Chevrolet car, and two days later were married in the Salt Lake Temple at 10:30 at night. There were 20 couples married in that session!  
Their first child, Merlin, was born in April, 1942.
The Grovers first lived in one of the apartments in the Castle House, which in those days was the first Blanding Motel!  They lived there for two years. 
When school let out on April 4, 1942, he next got a job in Henderson, NV on a dairy farm for a rich lady.
However, World War II erupted and he was drafted into the Army and moved back to Penrose in Box Elder. He served in a Vet/medical group, working with local people to help procure food for the military.
During the War, Jesse served in Europe. He would trade cigarettes for candy, which he gave to kids and he often helped drunk soldiers get back to base.
Many of his comrades fought in the Battle of the Bulge but his commanding officer kept him on base as he noticed he was a church attender. 
At that time Princess Elizabeth (who later became queen) helped transport military leaders and she once gave Jess a ride to the train station so he could go to church. 
The Branch president had prayed for help as they didn’t have priesthood holders and help was much needed.
Jess provided veterinary service for farmers in England and France and gathered produce and dairy products for the troops.
The Army offered advancements if soldiers would stay but Jess missed his family and returned home. He hadn’t seen his daughter for 22 months. 
Even though jobs were scarce, he was able to find work at the Ben Lomand farms in Logan and was hired as a herdsman for their Guernsey cows.
Jess also worked for Cream of Weber Dairy but money was tight so after two years the whole family decided to move to Montana.
He was taking care of cattle all over the state, but a car accident changed their plans and they gathered up their milk cows and moved to Blanding.
Zenos Black talked Jess into teaching at San Juan High School and Erv Guymon helped them get a one-room building where Yaks is. That is where they also kept their cattle. Jess farmed and ran 400 cattle on the Blue Mountain but often did veterinarian work for Blanding and Monticello ranchers.
He also did custom haying in Montezuma Canyon for the Daltons, as well for as Harrison Oliver, the Nielsons and Carl Perkins.
In addition, he kept his teaching certificate current and often had to take summer classes. Because of this, his wife and boys often had to take care of the livestock and milk business.
Jess was finally successful in getting the school district to restart FFA (which it continues to do). 
He had good rapport with Native Americans students and taught them skills that helped them be successful raising livestock on the reservation. Many became good athletes and FFA leaders.
In addition, they learned parliamentary procedures as well as agricultural strategies.
Mark Maryboy was one of his students.  He also worked with the San Juan Extension Service to implement the Junior Livestock program in 1972. 
Another Grover enterprise started in 1955 was running the Blanding Dairy. They delivered milk, house to house, six days a week and took ice cream to cafes. They even sold milk to Meadow Gold who eventually turned around and brought milk to Blanding. Eventually Kenneth and Don Brown bought the dairy.  
Both of his parents had a love of youth and agriculture and Jess had a major influence in the lives of many people. Clisbee Lyman and Don Smith were some of his first students.  He was good friends with Bud Nielson and helped start VFW. 
The San Juan County Fair and FFA are now a permanent part of county history, thanks to the efforts of Jess Grover.