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Elden Edward Hadfield 10/15/1916 - 8/11/2010

Elden Edward Hadfield, or E squared as he liked to be called, was born on October 15, 1916 at Grouse Creek, Utah. Born to William and Grace (Jorgensen) Hadfield in the family’s one room log cabin, with Grandma Mary Shaw Hadfield acting as midwife. He grew up enjoying and experiencing carefree days with his siblings. As his schooling at Grouse Creek came to a close, he attended Logan Senior High School with siblings Ronald and Myrl. While attending School in Logan he lived with his Grandpa and Grandma Jorgensen.

After graduation he worked odd jobs in Logan, including taxi driver. He was hired to the Logan City Diesel Plant, where he learned to manage the diesel engines that powered the city. The skills he learned here blessed his life for years to come.

While working at the diesel plant Elden met a striking young women named Sarah Hall. This handsome pair courted for several months and were married on December 31, 1941 in Preston, Idaho, later sealed in the Logan Temple on May 11, 1953.

After Elden’s brother Norman was drafted the other eligible Hadfield boys joined various branches of the service. Elden enlisted with the Merchant Marines. Elden was no sooner married than he was off to Milwaukee Wisconsin and the Merchant Marines. He was to be trained on the intricacies of the engines that drove the ships that carried the supplies to the allied forces in European and the Pacific theaters. It was a natural progression from his station at the diesel plant that made electricity for the city of Logan. From there he went to sea, but not before their first child Susan was born.

Sarah went back to Logan to work for the phone company, give birth to second child William and wait for his return. But she grew impatient and when she got wind that he might be docking in New Jersey she jumped the next train headed for Jersey - with no idea of how she might find him, or when. That she did find him is ample evidence that she indeed had a guardian angel looking out for her and the children. Hoboken N.J. was the birthplace of Cynthia.

Elden mustered out of the Merchant Marine corps as a Lt. Commander and took his wartime savings to Houston Texas where he purchased a Mac truck and tried his hand at the trucking business. His fourth and last child Nancy was born here and when the trucking effort failed to thrive they headed home to Utah.

They settled in Salt Lake City and Elden went to work for Utah Construction Company at the Bingham Copper mine. After five years with that company he took employment with them in Australia where the family lived for the next seven years in six different locations.

His savings from this adventure went to the establishment of Finesse Draperies Inc., a window covering enterprise that flourished for the next 38 years, first in Salt Lake and then in Lake Point in a facility he designed and built for the specific purpose of manufacturing draperies. His draperies were to be found in most every major hotel in Utah and surrounding areas.

He worked in all aspects of his business including installation work until he was 84 years old. He never tiered of the details and was able to innovate and develop equipment and products that made him a major factor in his industry in the inter-mountain west.

Elden has served as Bishop, High Councilor, Stake and Ward Missionary Leader in Salt Lake and was an officiator in the Salt Lake Temple.

Sarah Passed away on May 4th 2010, Elden followed soon after on August 11th 2010, preceded in death by grandson Alan J. Berry. Elden and Sarah are survived by their Children and spouses Susan and Gary Johnson, William and Gayle Hadfield, Cynthia and Joe Berry, Nancy and Bruce Stratford. 25 grandchildren and 60 great grandchildren.

Elden Hadfield was a man of fierce loyalty and great integrity. He came from real economic disadvantage and worked his way into a financially independent life without advanced education or the sponsorship of wealth. He did it with hard work, his own cunning and faith in his God.

He learned from his mistakes and his observation of others and he learned that he was the son of the living God and that his salvation was through his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

He served as bishop with real gusto and unabashed love for those he served. He was without pretense and possessed of great earthbound humor. He was not without fault and he was willing to admit it.

He had a real genius for things mechanical and was never afraid to get his hands dirty in the service of a worthy project or good cause.

Even as the thief of dementia was robbing his memory he would sit at the dinning room window, look out over the valley and declare " I am the luckiest man alive".

He was generous to his family and proud of his posterity.