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Jolley, Joseph Prestwich, Ray Seely, Jake Anderson, George Faux, Leo Morley, Dan L. Olsen, John M. Olsen, Wilford B. Olson, and William Prestwich. These men formed the association and worked out an agreement with Bent Monson, Moroni flour miller, for the grinding and mixing of their turkey mash on a cooperative basis. The first mill was located in the Pioneer Opera House, which still stands on Moroni's Main Street. Later, the abandoned People's Sugar Company plant, located two miles south of town was purchased and the feed division was moved there in 1940. Moroni Feed Company was officially incorporated under the cooperative statutes of Utah on January 20, 1938. The first officers and directors were Leo Morley, president; Ray Seely, vice president; and Marion Jolley, secretary-treasurer. W.L. Morley was the buyer, a position he held for twenty years. Sherman Christensen was hired as bookkeeper. Marlin Cloward was hired to take his equipment to the hay fields in Leamington and Lyndell to chop hay. Albert Cloward worked with Marlin. As more men were interested in becoming members, they were charged a $1 membership fee. Royce Johnson, daughter of W.L. Morley remembers as a young child, that her father raised twenty to twenty-five turkeys. About the middle of November, the turkeys were killed, drypicked and hung in an empty house next door. The heads and feet were washed and left on the bird. The weather was cold this time of year, so they were preserved till they could be sold. Independent buyers would go around to the growers and buy their birds. After incorporation, W.L. Morley was able to raise 500 turkeys. "This became a family affair," Royce said. "All feeding and watering was done by hand. When night began to fall, the entire family would go into the coop and get the turkeys to bed. Sitting on their roosts, we put turkeys beside us so as to encourage 135 |
