Life Story of Leta Boice Doolin Boutwell
This life story is located in my grandmother
Leta Boice Boutwell’s Book of Remembrance
(Spelling and punctuation corrections have been
made – no changes were made to the sentence
structure or voice – other corrections will be
shown in parenthesis –
Linda Fretwell Duchaine – June 2007)
Leta Boice was born August 18, 1909 in Bountiful, Co.
Her parents were John Edwin Boice and Alta Artena Ball Boice.
She lived as a young girl in Manassa, CO.
Her parents were thrifty Latter Day Saints and were always
interested in the welfare and happiness of their family.
All of her early life was spent in the San Luis Valley.
The winters were long and cold, but on those winter
evenings mama would read good stories to them,
sometimes they were Bible stories, sometimes pioneer
stories, and also about their early life which was always very interesting. They would pop corn and eat apples.
Then in the summer she could always look forward to a fishing trip with her parents and six brothers and
sisters. This trip was made in a covered wagon taking all day to reach their destination. Papa loved to fish, and
they were plentiful. After catching many fish they would cook them over a camp fire with biscuits baked in a
dutch oven.
They were always happy at Thanksgiving and Christmas and were taught the true meaning of those days.
Celebrations were simple, but happy.
Upon graduation from high school in 1928, Leta went to Salt Lake City, UT to live and work as her older sister
Letha and her husband George lived in Bingham Canyon, UT.
She went to work at the U. S. Hotel at Bingham as a waitress and while working there, she met Wad Shelton
Doolin. He was a very handsome man having black hair, dark brown eyes, a good physique and a pleasant
personality. Wade worked in the mines. They went together for eight months, then married on March 1, 1929.
Leta and Wade Shelton Doolin were blessed with two children, Elaine and Richard Shelton Doolin.
They had an apartment in Bingham, times were hard and places to rent were scarce due to a boom in mining.
They had a three room apartment and Leta cleaned sixteen rooms for their rent. They bought furniture from a
man who was leaving Bingham. This made their small apartment seem like a real home. They lived there for a
few months and then found an apartment over a butcher shop. It was closer to where Letha & George lived.
After Elaine was born in 1930, they moved to Osgood, Missouri where Wade’s parents and family lived. They
lived there for approximately three years. Wade farmed with his father and brothers. Times were very hard,
money was scarce. Farming was their only means of support.
In 1934, they moved to Manassa, CO and lived on a small farm outside of town. It was 1935 in Manassa, CO
when Richard was born. Wade worked as a laborer, farmer and whatever he could get to provide for his family.
They bought a small farm and eight cows and started a dairy, delivering milk, cream, butter and eggs in the
town of Manassa. Milk was 7-cents per quart, cream was 2-cents per quart, butter was 20-cents per pound
and eggs were used for trade in groceries for staples and clothing.
1940 Leta moved to Los Angeles, CA with her parents and two small children after being divorced from Wade.
Not having a real profession, she entered Wiggins Trade School in Los Angeles taking training as a pastry
cook. After completion of the course, the school placed Leta in the Los Angeles School System Cafeteria as a
pastry cook.
It was during this time she met Floyd Ralph Boutwell. They were married July 18, 1942 in Las Vegas, NV. They
purchased a home in Los Angeles at 601 W 78th St. where they lived from 1942 until 1946. During this time
World War II was in progress. Floyd worked for Northrup Aircraft as a carpenter. She was a welder, and
eventually became foreman over other workers, mostly men.
After the war, in 1946, they moved to Kirtland, NM due to Leta’s worsening arthritis. They purchased the
Palmer Farm and farmed for a number of years. Leta and her niece Donna Haycock formed a partnership and
opened a hobby and craft shop in the garage area naming the business “LeDon’s Hobby Shop”. It was
successful.
In 1953, Leta and Floyd moved to Aztec, NM where they purchased the franchise for A & W Root Beer. They
built a building and a new home and started in the “root beer business”. In that same building there was room
for more craft and homemade items which were always in great demand from local people who came to eat at
the A & W. Shortly after the A & W was opened, Continental Trailways approached Leta & Floyd about
becoming commissioned agents for the bus depot. This they did and operated the bus depot and root beer
drive-in until 1963. During her residency in Aztec, Leta was president of the Relief Society and held numerous
other positions in the church. The church was just across the street from their home.
After the A & W was sold, plus their home, they decided to buy a home in Farmington, NM. They enjoyed
several years of retirement, traveling and becoming very interested in genealogy research. Let and Floyd
were welcomed in the church in Farmington as active and faithful members. Living in Farmington, they were
close to all their grandchildren. Elaine and her family living in Durango, CO.
1969, Leta became confined to a wheel chair because of crippling arthritis. This ended a great deal of their
traveling, but they were still able to enjoy the leisure of retired life.
Floyd passed away in Durango, CO at the home of Elaine in January 1973. After that, Leta lived by herself
with the help of live-in housekeepers. During the year of 1974, she decided to sell her home and build an
addition to her daughter-in-law’s home. After that was completed, she moved in to have the attention and care
she required.
On November 22, 1976, in the early morning hours, she passed away quietly in her sleep. Leta was 67 years
old at the time of her passing.
Leta Boice Boutwell
Date of Birth: 18 August 1909
Place: Bountiful, Conejos County, Colorado
Date of Death: 22 November 1976
Place: Farmington, New Mexico
Date of Burial: 24, November 1976
Place of Burial: Kirtland, New Mexico
Transcribed from notes and from memories of her daughter, Elaine in the year of 1984 and 1993
This life story is located in my grandmother
Leta Boice Boutwell’s Book of Remembrance
(Spelling and punctuation corrections have been
made – no changes were made to the sentence
structure or voice – other corrections will be
shown in parenthesis –
Linda Fretwell Duchaine – June 2007)
Leta Boice was born August 18, 1909 in Bountiful, Co.
Her parents were John Edwin Boice and Alta Artena Ball Boice.
She lived as a young girl in Manassa, CO.
Her parents were thrifty Latter Day Saints and were always
interested in the welfare and happiness of their family.
All of her early life was spent in the San Luis Valley.
The winters were long and cold, but on those winter
evenings mama would read good stories to them,
sometimes they were Bible stories, sometimes pioneer
stories, and also about their early life which was always very interesting. They would pop corn and eat apples.
Then in the summer she could always look forward to a fishing trip with her parents and six brothers and
sisters. This trip was made in a covered wagon taking all day to reach their destination. Papa loved to fish, and
they were plentiful. After catching many fish they would cook them over a camp fire with biscuits baked in a
dutch oven.
They were always happy at Thanksgiving and Christmas and were taught the true meaning of those days.
Celebrations were simple, but happy.
Upon graduation from high school in 1928, Leta went to Salt Lake City, UT to live and work as her older sister
Letha and her husband George lived in Bingham Canyon, UT.
She went to work at the U. S. Hotel at Bingham as a waitress and while working there, she met Wad Shelton
Doolin. He was a very handsome man having black hair, dark brown eyes, a good physique and a pleasant
personality. Wade worked in the mines. They went together for eight months, then married on March 1, 1929.
Leta and Wade Shelton Doolin were blessed with two children, Elaine and Richard Shelton Doolin.
They had an apartment in Bingham, times were hard and places to rent were scarce due to a boom in mining.
They had a three room apartment and Leta cleaned sixteen rooms for their rent. They bought furniture from a
man who was leaving Bingham. This made their small apartment seem like a real home. They lived there for a
few months and then found an apartment over a butcher shop. It was closer to where Letha & George lived.
After Elaine was born in 1930, they moved to Osgood, Missouri where Wade’s parents and family lived. They
lived there for approximately three years. Wade farmed with his father and brothers. Times were very hard,
money was scarce. Farming was their only means of support.
In 1934, they moved to Manassa, CO and lived on a small farm outside of town. It was 1935 in Manassa, CO
when Richard was born. Wade worked as a laborer, farmer and whatever he could get to provide for his family.
They bought a small farm and eight cows and started a dairy, delivering milk, cream, butter and eggs in the
town of Manassa. Milk was 7-cents per quart, cream was 2-cents per quart, butter was 20-cents per pound
and eggs were used for trade in groceries for staples and clothing.
1940 Leta moved to Los Angeles, CA with her parents and two small children after being divorced from Wade.
Not having a real profession, she entered Wiggins Trade School in Los Angeles taking training as a pastry
cook. After completion of the course, the school placed Leta in the Los Angeles School System Cafeteria as a
pastry cook.
It was during this time she met Floyd Ralph Boutwell. They were married July 18, 1942 in Las Vegas, NV. They
purchased a home in Los Angeles at 601 W 78th St. where they lived from 1942 until 1946. During this time
World War II was in progress. Floyd worked for Northrup Aircraft as a carpenter. She was a welder, and
eventually became foreman over other workers, mostly men.
After the war, in 1946, they moved to Kirtland, NM due to Leta’s worsening arthritis. They purchased the
Palmer Farm and farmed for a number of years. Leta and her niece Donna Haycock formed a partnership and
opened a hobby and craft shop in the garage area naming the business “LeDon’s Hobby Shop”. It was
successful.
In 1953, Leta and Floyd moved to Aztec, NM where they purchased the franchise for A & W Root Beer. They
built a building and a new home and started in the “root beer business”. In that same building there was room
for more craft and homemade items which were always in great demand from local people who came to eat at
the A & W. Shortly after the A & W was opened, Continental Trailways approached Leta & Floyd about
becoming commissioned agents for the bus depot. This they did and operated the bus depot and root beer
drive-in until 1963. During her residency in Aztec, Leta was president of the Relief Society and held numerous
other positions in the church. The church was just across the street from their home.
After the A & W was sold, plus their home, they decided to buy a home in Farmington, NM. They enjoyed
several years of retirement, traveling and becoming very interested in genealogy research. Let and Floyd
were welcomed in the church in Farmington as active and faithful members. Living in Farmington, they were
close to all their grandchildren. Elaine and her family living in Durango, CO.
1969, Leta became confined to a wheel chair because of crippling arthritis. This ended a great deal of their
traveling, but they were still able to enjoy the leisure of retired life.
Floyd passed away in Durango, CO at the home of Elaine in January 1973. After that, Leta lived by herself
with the help of live-in housekeepers. During the year of 1974, she decided to sell her home and build an
addition to her daughter-in-law’s home. After that was completed, she moved in to have the attention and care
she required.
On November 22, 1976, in the early morning hours, she passed away quietly in her sleep. Leta was 67 years
old at the time of her passing.
Leta Boice Boutwell
Date of Birth: 18 August 1909
Place: Bountiful, Conejos County, Colorado
Date of Death: 22 November 1976
Place: Farmington, New Mexico
Date of Burial: 24, November 1976
Place of Burial: Kirtland, New Mexico
Transcribed from notes and from memories of her daughter, Elaine in the year of 1984 and 1993
Leta Boice &
Cleone Olsen
Smith picking
strawberries in
mountains
Cleone Olsen
Smith picking
strawberries in
mountains