History of Karl Lorenzo Probst - Part IV

History written by Karl L. Probst in 1968:

"Besides teaching school and farming, I played for many dances, using the saxophone, trombone and guitar. we traveled in all kinds of weather playing in surrounding towns in and out of the valley."

Old Midway Social Hall where Karl and his orchestra played for dances.
(Notice the pot rock construction.)

"I was Sunday School and ward chorister approximately forty years and was Wasatch Stake Sunday School chorister for eight years."

"In the year, 1914, while attending B.Y.U., I was selected for the Wasatch Stake to take the Scoutmaster's Training Course that the Church had initiated. I was chosen Scoutmaster in midway and worked in Scouting for about forty years as Scoutmaster and on the Troop Committee. Also, I took a course for college credit that gave me the 'Scoutmaster's Key.'"

"I organized a male quartet composed of myself as second bass; Reed Kohler, bass; Rulon Huntington, lead; and Roy Huffaker, tenor. We did much public service, and sang for funerals, on programs, etc., for some forty years. This quartet took first place in the Utah Farm Bureau Contest. I organized other groups and put on about six or seven minstrel shows to help raise money to pay on the present Midway Second Ward meetinghouse., and after the money was matched, it made about $6,000 toward the chapel."

"My favorite sport was baseball, having pitched and won many games. I came by this naturally, because I could curve a ball when I was in the sixth grade. I have obtained a hunting and fishing license each year and never missed a year from the time I was fourteen years old."

"My wife and I served a six-months' mission in the East Central States from October, 1961, to April, 1962. We also spent several winters in Mesa, Arizona, doing temple work and enjoying the warm climate."

"Over the years, I developed the ability to do fancy handwriting and was asked many times to sign numerous certificates, invitations, etc."

"During my farm days, I got into the silver fox business and had a ranch of my own––about twenty pens. We made money for several years and had good luck, and then the styles changed, and the women weren't wearing fox fur. We sold the last ones for $10.00 a piece and got out of the business."

Fox Pens on the Probst Farm where Karl raised silver foxes for their pelts to be used for clothing, 1940's.
At the peak, he had about 500 foxes.

"I also had acquired by this time some black Karakul sheep; the first ram I bought from Texas at a cost of $250.o0. It was the only Karakul ram in Utah at that time, and I crossed him on Suffolk ewes, and their offspring were half bloods, and I kept crossing this ram until I got a 15/16th blood, almost purebred. I also purchased a ewe then, too, and kept inbreeding until I finally had a quality of pelt that was valued at about $25.00 to $30.00 a piece."

"I sold a carload of sheep to Hemingway in California, keeping twelve yearlings that were the highest quality of broadtail type fur. I kept one ram lamb to breed on these twelve, having let the old ram go to California. I figured I had the best ram, and these twelve ewes were the best in America for their quality of fur. I figured now that I would really make some money. I had this valuable ram in the corral with some horses, and about two weeks after I had sold the other sheep, I went up to the barn one morning, and the ram was lying dead. He had been kicked by a horse and had a broken neck, so I had no ram to breed these twelve ewes with. so, I wrote to California to try to get the old ram back, and they informed me that they had already killed him because they didn't think he was worth anything. So, with this disappointment, it put an end to my experiment in the sheep business."

"We also raised peas for silage, sugar beet seed, milk cows, head lettuce and hay. Just recently, I have purchased two rare Mouflon sheep, almost extinct. The ewe now has a lamb."

"We also had a raspberry patch up Snake Creek in the apple orchard which produced berries very abundantly for some time. However, the State Park has now purchased this ground, but I have continued to lease it back since that time. This year is the last time I will take care of the raspberries up Snake Creek. The bushes are just about all dead."

"The last year I taught school, I decided to try making a guitar. I found a large log up Snake Creek, hauled it to my home and with an ax, chopped it down to size. I then took it to the shop in high school where I smoothed it and cut it to the pattern I had made. By the time school was out in the spring, I had finished a very good electric guitar. Later, I invented an instrument I called the Melody Harp. I have made many of these. Lately I have been making Spanish Guitars, and have been experimenting with different kinds of wood. I still have many ideas I want to work out."

Karl created this Trade Mark for his Melody Harp.

"Since retiring from school teaching, I have kept very busy with my hobbies––painting, guitar making, and fishing. I have painted many pictures, many of which I have given away, and some I have sold."

"At seventy-three years of age, I have very good health, enjoy life, and hope to live to be one-hundred years old."

History of Karl Lorenzo Probst - Part III

History written by Karl L. Probst in 1968:

"On my arrival home, the first thing I did was to go over to the Midway School in my soldier's uniform. While I was talking with the principal, Mr. Sorensen, in the eighth grade room, a young lady by the name of Miss Wright came in the room, and he introduced her to me, and that was the first time I met the girl who later became my wife. During the remainder of the winter, we had sleigh riding parties and programs, and I started to date Miss Wright. In early spring of 1919, we became engaged."

Old Midway Grade School

"That fall, I went to Oakley and taught school and was principal. I organized a band of about twenty Oakley boys. They progressed very rapidly, and it wasn't very long until we were playing on programs. Occasionally, during the winter on weekends, I would go to Midway to court Miss Wright and see my folks. Sometimes, I would go down riding horseback and sometimes I would go down with a very fancy trotter outfit that was loaned to me by Mr. Jensen."

"One time I came to Midway, and didn't know it but the town was quarantined for the Flu. The roads leading to Midway from Charleson and Heber were blockaded, but I came by way of the River Road and stopped at my girl's place before going home, and she told me the town was quarantined for the Flu, so I made my visits short that time, and sneaked out Sunday afternoon unknown to anyone and returned to Oakley."

"While in Oakley, I boarded with the Peter Frost family, and they made me very welcome, and I enjoyed that first winter very much in Oakley."

On June 23, 1920, Miss Wright and I were married in the Salt Lake Temple. That summer we lived with my folks in Midway, and then in the fall, we returned to Oakley where I taught school the second year there. We lived in an old log cabin down on the Weber River where our first child, Bernard, was born the following spring, April 1, 1921. The old log cabin is torn down now, and a nice residence occupies the spot."

Karl and Cree Probst

"We enjoyed the winter very much, and in the spring there was an opening to teach school in Midway, my home town, so we decided to return. The people in Oakley offered more money for me to stay, but we didn't accept the offer."

"I taught school for twenty-two years in Midway, eight of which I served as principal, teaching several of my own children, and then was transferred to Wasatch High School in Heber City to teach English and Math in Junior High and some senior high subjects. I taught school for a total of forty years altogether. Lulu Clegg was superintendent during some of the time that I was teaching in the Wasatch High School. One day, she called me into her office and said she would like to have some art taught in the high school, there not being any at that time. "

"She said she thought I was the person who could do it, and she would give me all the help I needed to get started. She assigned me a small room, and the first year I had eleven students from different grades. The next year they had two periods of it, and I had thirty some odd students in each class. The third year, the room became too small, an they moved us down into the old Ag Room where we had five periods of art a day and about 100 students. Th Art Department kept growing until we had seven periods a day, including Junior High and Senior High. We did water colors, oils, handicraft and leather work. The Art Department is still functioning."

Karl and his Artwork/Paintings

"I retired from teaching school for three years, after having spent thirty-five years in the schoolroom. Finally when they couldn't get an art teacher, they urged me to return, which I did for five years longer, making a total of forty years in the schoolroom. In the meantime, I went to the Brigham Young University and got my bachelor's degree in both art and music, graduating from there in August, 1956."

"During my years of teaching, I attended summer schools and took correspondence courses to keep qualified for teaching. The first year I taught for $45.00 per month, and the year I retired I was making $5,600.00 a year."

"The year I started teaching school, my brother Vern and I purchased the farm, upon our father's advice, of G.F. Buehler, for the sum of $5,800.00, fifty-eight acres at $100.00 per acre. For sever years, we had a difficult time to meet the payments and live. Times were difficult, and only by my teaching school and keeping up the payments were we able to holdon to the place and meet our obligations."

Karl and Cree Probst at the Snake Creek Orchard

"We were also involved in the cattle business and had about 100 head of cattle. There was no money to be made in the cattle business, however. One year, we sent a carload of cattle to California to be sold. After paying the freight and yardage, they only made us $13.67 a piece for big three-year old steers. We got a Federal Land Bank Loan on our place that gave us smaller payments to make at a lower rate of interest that was streteched out for a period of thirty-two years, but we finally paid it off on the twenty-ninth year, and as of then, the property was in the clear."

"My brother Vern went on a mission to Germany, and I took care of the business along with tmy father, and we supported him on his mission. We got a few sheep along with the cattle, and they were making us much more money than the cattle did, which enabled us to keep going and help Vern on his mission."

"When my brother Vern got married, we decided to divide the property. Vern took one-third of the propberty and assumed one-third of the obligations. I took two-thirds and assumed two-thirds of the obligation. He took the Snake Creek farm that is cultivated ground and the Bunnel pasture and wire grass pasture. I took the Buehler farm and the Bunnel ground across the road from it, and the range ground, including the fats and Bonner Hollow ground, and two-thirds of the range permit which when was about seventy-five head of cattle."

"By this time, I was living in my present home that was built by my brother, father and myself from the pot rock that was quarried near it."

Probst Home in Midway, Utah, with Pot-Rock Construction circa 1950

"When World War II broke out, Bernard was married and was called to the Army, and I had the responsibility of looking after his cattle and farm, which was leased to him from my brother Vern; and Eugen was called into the Navy. Some years later, I sold the farm to Bernard and Eugene. Bernard too the Snake Creek land, and Eugen took the Buehler property."

Probst Grandchildren

Memories of the family as told by Glen W. Probst:

Probst Grandchildren, 1957

These are some of Karl and Cree's grandchildren back in the early-to-mid 1950's. At top is Lynn Probst (Bernard) next is Craig Probst (with boxing glove), next to him is his older brother Michael Probst, (both Gene's) and the next one is Max "Buzz"Probst (Bernard). The two in front are Bill Probst (Gene) and Allen Probst (Bernard) I took this picture in front of Bernard's home in Midway.

Lynn Probst (left) & Glen Probst (right)

This is my oldest nephew Lynn Probst on the left. He's Bernard's oldest son. Lynn passed away a number of years ago at about age 46. I'm on the right riding Blaze, the horse that I grew up with. Dad bought it as a small colt when I was about five. You can see our 1949 Ford Victoria Hardtop Convertible behind us. It was cream and turquoise in color. Also, the old house is covered with snow. Notice the pot rock construction of the walls. Those walls are about a foot or so thick, and since the pot rock is porous, it kept the house cool in the summer and warmer in the winter. We stuccoed the house some years later. Notice the icicles above the upstairs window.