Donald Burgoyne Cruikshank, was born on November 14, 1908, at Montpelier, Bear Lake County, Idaho. I was born in the family home at 408 Clay Street. The attending physician was D’Orr Poynter, M.D. I was the fifth of six children born to my parents. My father was Fred Locke Cruikshank and my mother was Martha Ellen Burgoyne Cruikshank. I had one brother and four sisters; however, since one brother and one sister had died before I was born, I was raised with three sisters and no brothers.

Recollection of my early life almost exclusively concerns family. We lived in the same block with Grandmother Mary Burgoyne, the Milford Williams family and the Charles Hess family and we shared many things together as one family, including family dinners, family picnics, and even extended vacation trips via automobile. This close association continued until we were grown and many of us left Montpelier.

I started school at age six, attending the Washington Elementary School at Montpelier. I spent one year at the Wasatch Elementary School in Salt Lake City (1918-1919). These were eventful years. I recall having the usual childhood diseases including in 1918 the Spanish Influenza and Hepatitis, or “Jaundice” as we called it then. I recall that our family traveled quite a bit by car for those times since Father operated a garage and had the agency for selling both Ford and Dodge cars. In 1916 the family, with the Williams family, took a two-week trip to Yellowstone Park and return–not a little adventure for those times since the Park had not been open to automobile traffic for very long and the roads left much to be desired–they were downright “scary”. I attended Junior High School at Montpelier. I recall that my class entered 9th Grade in the middle of the school year and completed high school in three and a half years–the last class, I believe, to do so. During this time I recall that we enjoyed winter sports. One winter I “boarded” three dogs and trained them as a sled-dog team. I won $30 in the Scout dog sled races on Washington’s Birthday winning the 3-dog team race and the 2-dog team race with an odd–ball team consisting of a small black and white slick haired dog named “Tip”, a bulldog owned by Ted Bagley, and a big mongrel “Russian Wolf Hound” owned by someone in Dingle, Idaho. I split the money with the dog owners, but Dan gave me a second-hand 22-Caliber rifle for persevering with the dogs all winter.

I attended Montpelier High School, 1923-26. I was elected Junior Class President and Student Body President. The special teachers who helped me in High School were William E. Morgan, Superintendent and Alma J. Winters, Principal and Math teacher. I recall playing baseball, but was too small for the basketball team. We rigged up some baskets and backboards in the loft of Dad’s barn where we scrimmaged for hours in sub-freezing weather. I recall how as Student Body President, I hated to get up in front of the student body and relied heavily on the Vice-President, Frankie Miles, to conduct the meetings. I attended “Released Time” Seminary during my Junior and Senior years. The instructor was Seymour Spencer, a fine man and an excellent teacher. I believe he had been an LDS Chaplain in the U.S. Army in World War I. In 1924, Dan bought a new Dodge Sedan and took the family on a month’s trip to Chicago and St. Louis, visiting with the Allen Bowman family in Chicago and with the Richard Cruikshank family in St. Louis–a real family adventure. I recall people staring at our license plates at every stop. All they knew of Idaho was that the State raised good potatoes and had a Senator named Borah. A tragedy occurred on this trip when my sister, Genevieve, contracted Rheumatic Fever. This left her with a weak heart which eventually resulted in her death nine years later at age 21.

I attended Utah State Agricultural College, 1926-30, receiving a B.S. Degree in Commerce, major in Business Administration, minors in Economics and Military Science. I joined Pi Kappa Alpha (Social), Alpha Kappa Psi (Business), Scabbard and Blade (Military) and Phi Kappa Phi (Scholastic honorary) Fraternities. Served as Chapter President of Pi Kappa Alpha and Scabbard and Blade; played Intra Mural Basketball and Baseball and played basketball with the M-Men team of the Logan Fourth Ward. We won the Northern Division championship and played in the Church tournament at Salt Lake in 1930. During summers I worked in service stations in Montpelier and played baseball with the Union Pacific Team there. (Shortstop and Second Base. I took four years of ROTC and received a reserve commission as 2nd Lt., Coast Artillery Corps, U.S. Army, in May 1930. During the summer of 1929 I attended six weeks ROTC Camp at Fort Worden, Washington, traveling there with my good friend and roommate, Vernon M. Budge of Paris, Idaho. My principal friends during these years were Vernon Budge and my cousin Irven Burgoyne. In 1930-31, I attended the Graduate School of Business at Leland Stanford University.

I have no record of being blessed as a child. I was baptized in the Montpelier Idaho Third Ward (Bagley’s Swimming Hole, Montpelier Creek) by Elder Roy George, 25 July 1917. The water was cold. I was confirmed 29 July 1917 by Bishop Thomas M. Mumford. I attended Primary, Religion class and Sunday School while in grade school, but I was inactive in the Church from 1924 (age 16) to 1932, excepting for some MIA attendance and basketball. I recall that in my grade school days we had three meetings on Sunday (Sunday School, Sacrament Meeting and “Evening Meeting”. All other meetings were held on week days or nights. I had two years of scouting–first in a city troop (Alma Winters, Scoutmaster); the second in the Montpelier Third Ward (John Rigby, Scoutmaster). I recall having fun on two or three Father/Son outings sponsored by the Church. I was ordained a Deacon in the Montpelier Third Ward by Thomas M. Mumford, 13 January 1921; ordained a Teacher, 3 February 1924, by David A. Lewis; ordained and Elder, 28 January 1934, by Lloyd Davis (Boise Second Ward); ordained a High Priest, 5 March 1961, by Alma Sonne, General Authority, in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

I accepted a Reserve Commission in the U. S. Army in May of 1930 and was retired from the Army in 1960. I was called to active duty for World War II on 26 December 1940 as a First Lieutenant and was released from Active Duty in April 1946 as a Lt. Colonel. I was stationed in the following places: Fort Scott, California; Camp Haan, California; Fort Monroe, Virginia; Camp David, North Carolina; Fort Leavenworth, Kansas; Camp Howze, Texas; Fort Benning, Georgia; Southern Islands Area Command, Philippine Islands. I served in Antiaircraft Artillery, Infantry, and General Staff Corps, mostly in Operations as a Training Staff Officer, and as Instructor of Tactics, AAA School.

I met and married Jean Emily Clough in 1936. We met in Boise and were married in Weiser, Idaho. Twenty-four years later (11 July 1960) we received our endowments and were sealed, with our children, in the Logan Temple.

We resided at Boise, Idaho, where I was employed as State Director, Occupational Licenses until 1939. I had worked as Athletic Coach and Teacher at Eagle, Idaho High School, 1932-22, and had been Director of Licenses 1933-39. In 1939 we moved to St. Anthony, Idaho, where I accepted a position as Parole Officer, Idaho State Industrial School for one year, leaving to work for the National Youth Administration as Field Finance Examiner. This work was interrupted by a call to active duty in the U.S. Army. At Boise and St. Anthony I was active in the Reserve Officer Association and in the Ada County Young Democratic Club. I joined the Lion’s Club at St. Anthony and taught non-denominational Sunday School at the Industrial School. Jean sang with the Congregational Church Choir in Boise and with the Boise Civic Chorus. She was also president of the Music Club.

On release from active duty, December 1946, U.S. Army, we returned to Boise, Idaho, and worked for the U. S. Veterans Administration in the Vocational Rehabilitation and Education Division for 1946 to 1952, serving as training Officer, Assistant Chief, Vocational Rehabilitation and Education Division and as Chief, Training Facilities Section. I worked in Cub Scouting (PTA) and in various Church assignments including instructor, Elders Quorum, Sunday School Teacher, Superintendent of MIA, Chairman Scout Troop Committee, Executive Secretary Aaronic Priesthood, Teachers Quorum Advisor. Jean continued work with church and community music groups.

In 1951 I joined the Federal Civil Defense Administration and the family moved to Great Falls, Montana, where I was assigned as Liaison Officer at the 29th Air Defense Division and worked with the Civilian Attack Warning System. I continued with the National Civil Defense organization in the Warning and Liaison work until retirement from Civil Service in 1973, being assigned four years at Great Falls (1952-56); two years at National Headquarters at Battle Creek, Michigan (Assistant Director, Warning Office) 1956-58; and fifteen years as Liaison Officer to the North American Air Defense Command in Colorado Springs, Colorado, 1958-73. While at Great Falls, Jean had become active in the Church and on 7 July 1955, while on a trip to Boise, she was baptized by our former Bishop, Earl J. Glade, Jr. During the stay in Great Falls, I was Instructor of the Elder’s Quorum and was active with the Reserve Officers Association (Chapter President) and the Toastmasters Club (Chapter President). Jean directed the Branch Choir and held several music positions in Branch and District. She was president of the local Music Club, president of the local chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma, and president of the Local League of Women Voters.

Since we arrived in Colorado Springs, we have held many Church assignments: Choir, (Jean has directed choir for several years). I have been Ward and Stake MIA Superintendent, Ward Sunday School Teacher and Superintendent, Member of the Stake High Council, and Bishop’s Counselor. Jean served on the Stake Board of the Relief Society and was Stake Relief Society President for 9 ½ years. She teaches a Gospel Doctrine Class. Jean has sung with the Colorado Springs Chorale since 1958. I have sung with them for seven years.  

Donald died Christmas day in 1992 and is buried in Colorado Springs.