Roland Dubois McQuivey was born 14 February 1887 in St. Paul, Minnesota. He passed away on 4 July 1976 at Provo, Utah. Raul, as he was called by family and associates, was the eldest of seven children of Francis Marion and Lora Coons McQuivey.

The Francis McQuivey family did not have many worldly possessions as granddad's father spent most of his married life seeking the "big bonanza." This resulted in moves and hardships for the family. The family moved to Great Falls, Montana in 1892 when grandad was about three years old and Nellie about one year old. The move was inspired by an urge to go west.

In Great Falls the family settled on a farmstead which shortly fizzled due to lack of money and farming experience. In Great Falls two more daughters were born, Cora Maud and Ruth Rose. While there the family lived in a rough lumber and sod lean_to and water was carried two or three blocks.

Grandad's mother always detested idleness and used to tell of the bedrooms in their Great Falls home being papered with newspaper. To keep grandad from wasting time reading, she hung the paper in his room upside down, but it did not stop grandad's so_called idleness as he learned to read upside down.

The family moved to Eureka, Utah in 1896, the year Utah became a state. Times were hard and while in Eureka, a sister Lora Edna and a brother, Francis Elsworth were born and passed away. Also Cora Maud passed away.

In Eureka, grandad had a near fatal experience. He and some other boys were playing in the street when a flood occurred, sweeping the youngsters away. Some of the children were drowned, but grandad was pulled from the torrent by a man that leaned from his porch to catch grandad as he floated by. The man returned grandad home, still covered with mud and badly bruised, and asked his mother if the child was hers. She replied no, but grandad, from the mud and bruises replied, "Oh Ma, it's me."

In 1900 Lora and the remaining four children moved to Provo where health and living conditions were more favorable. Subsequently, Theodore was born in 1901 at Provo. While at Provo grandad went to work at age 14 at the woolen mills for 5 cents per hour. At age 18 he returned to Eureka to work in the mines. It was there at a boarding house that he met Clara Elizabeth Soren, and in 1907 the two of them were married at Provo. They spent the first seven years primarily in Eureka. My father, Marion, the eldest child of Raul and Clara's family was born in Eureka. Aunt Nadine was later born in Provo and Uncle Ross at Salem. In 1916, following the birth of Roland or Uncle Bob, Clara and the children moved to Salem, to a lower elevation, because of Clara's heart condition. In 1920, Uncle Gordon was born at Salem.

During the years until Clara's death in 1931, grandad worked at several jobs to sustain the family. He worked as a miner at Eureka and at Park City, and on construction jobs in Utah and Nevada, and raised chickens at Salem.

He found time to be a good husband and father, and to continue an interest in sports. During those years nearly every night was family night as the family spent evenings reading and enjoying popcorn and apples. Grandad was good at cooking and nearly always fixed the Sunday breakfast. Also reading and dramatizing the Sunday "Funnies" were standard.

At Salem he coached baseball for a number of years and was successful in directing Salem to its first state championship. Following Clara's death the family remained in Salem until about 1935 when Uncle Gordon went to stay with the Sorens and grandad and Uncle Bob went to Virginia City to work in the mines. They returned to Salem in 1938 and from that time to about 1941 worked in a Gilsonite mine near Myton, Utah. Grandad was a hard worker and through experience became not only skilled in mining, but also in carpentry. During 1942 he worked on construction at the Geneva Steel Plant.

In August 1942 grandad married Annie Evans and began work for Utah Power and Light Company as a custodian at the Olmsted Plant near Orem, Utah. He and Annie made their home at Orem on 274 East 1600 South Street. He remained with the power company until 1955 when he retired.

Retirement resulted in more time to keep up with the major league baseball team standings, batting averages, and following most of the games. He also found more time to devote to hobbies including making lamps and other items from cedar wood. He also took occasion to return to Eureka, American Fork Canyon, and other areas to prospect and reminisce of days gone by. During this time grandad and Annie devoted more time to quilting and he turned out reams of crocheted "McQuivey" lace. He and Annie, over the years, have presented each grandchild and great grandchild a quilt or pillow cases embroidered and trimmed with lace for births and marriages.

Prior to television, grandad spent hours reading books by Zane Grey, Jack London, and other authors, the Reader's Digest, short stories, and other novels and books. With the advent of TV, the novels gave way to watching football and baseball games. During the past few years activities have slowed due to arthritis and dimmed eye sight.

Grandad has always enjoyed his family and Annie's family. He enjoyed company and family activities. He rejoiced in his posterity and thrilled at the marriages, births, and accomplishments. He loved all his family and step_family and was proud of all. He and Annie have been devoted to each other as they have worked together and shared each other's families. Annie and her family have been dedicated in caring for grandad during his illnesses and keeping him company. Both families have enjoyed each other and have fit together well.

While Grandad did not achieve fame and fortune he was successful as a father and has a great posterity. He has four sons and a daughter that have always enjoyed being together and doing things together. In particular, in February the family all got together to celebrate Grandad's birthday. All of his posterity are still living. In addition to four sons and one daughter, he has 25 grandchildren, 68 great grandchildren, and 6 great, great grandchildren. In addition, he has enjoyed Annie's family consisting of four sons, three daughters, 22 grandchildren and about 30 great grandchildren.

Grandad has set the example to all of us by his honesty, his hard work, the love shown to others, his loyalty to wife and family, and the faith and support he has shown to all of his posterity. I hope that each of us can adopt these traits into our lives and experience the optimum joy that comes from seeing our families grow and succeed. All of us have a challenge to further build upon the foundation Grandad has laid for us.

This life sketch was presented by Lee J. McQuivey, a grandson, at funeral services on 8 July 1976. Credit is given to Roland D. McQuivey, American Fork, Utah for much of the historical data.