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- Western Parade Grand Marshal is Elden Johnson
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Elden Johnson has been selected to be the Grand Marshal of the 76th Annual Ute Stampede Western Parade.
He was born in Fountain Green in 1921 and has pretty much been on a horse ever since. At the age of 12, he got a job herding cows for the Cedar Hill Cow Pasture. He earned a penny per cow, per day and had 40 cows. At 16, he went to work as a sheepherder in the West Desert.
In 1942, Elden enlisted in the United States Navy and proudly served his country in World War II. His ship, the USS Baldwin, was chosen to escort President Roosevelt to Europe. He participated in three battles and crossed the Atlantic Ocean 10 times.
He has been married to Jean Broadhead Johnson for nearly 64 years. They have five children: Tom, Lance, Robin, Holly, and Chris; 19 grandchildren; and 23 great-grandchildren.
Elden operated his own trucking and coal business in Nephi for decades. He later worked for the Juab County road crew and Martin Marietta/Ash Grove Cement. He has been active in the community, serving through the Veterans of Foreign Wars, American Legion, Juab County Fair, and the LDS church.
The West Desert has been a life-long passion for him. He has spent many hours there with his family and friends, exploring, visiting, and photographing (especially the wild horses). He attends the Old Sheepherder's Party held each year at the Utah/Nevada border.
Elden participated in the Centennial Wagon Train from Logan to Cedar City and the 150th Wagon Train from Scotts Bluff, Nebraska to Casper, Wyoming.
Elden has enjoyed and attended the Ute Stampede nearly every year of his life and appreciates this opportunity to represent the Nephi Nebo Posse in the 2010 celebration. |
