HAZEN FORBES ADAMS AND HIS VIOLIN

Brother Hazen Adams is one of the last of a vanishing race, the old time fiddler. His gift of music has brightened the hours for many people through the years. His violin, a real Stradivarius, was handed down from his grandfather, George Washington Adams, to Andy Adams, his father, and then to Hazen. He began playing his violin when he was only six years old. At fourteen he began playing for dances and at eighteen he organized the Adams orchestra with himself playing the violin, his sister Zilla at the piano, his father Andy on the trombone, Dan Adams, a cousin, on the cornet and Shirley Heywood on the clarinet. After two years Andy dropped out and Gibb Nance with the trombone and Bill Nance with his drums joined the orchestra. The orchestra would load up in a wagon in summer, a bob-sleigh in winter and travel around to neighboring communities to play for dances. When they traveled to Syracuse or West Point to a dance it took all night to make the round trip.

On these excursions he met Sylvia Flint whose parents lived in West Point. Her Grandmother died and Sylvia went to live with her Grandfather, John Flint in Kaysville. It was love at first sight for them and after only a few excursions to Kaysville, via horse and buggy, object courtin', he and Sylvia were married March 6, 1918 in the Salt Lake Temple.

He was born 14th of November, 1893, the son of Andy W. and Harriet Ellen Forbes Adams, in the house where Orville Childs now lives. He spent his boyhood on his father's farm doing all the things boys do. Working and romping with his cousins, teasing his sisters, Zilla (now Sessions) and Vida (now Rouche).

He attended school at the old school which is now part of Byron Nalder's home, first grade through the fourth and at the school now torn down but then located on property now belonging to Richard Knowlton from the fifth to eighth grade. He did farm work, stacked straw for the old horse powered thresher. He found time to attend school at the U.S.A.C. in Logan for a time and operated one of the first two-way plows in this area. It was pulled by three horses. He operated a grain binder for many years. He became well known throughout the area each harvest time as the man with the steam thresher. He operated it for twenty years for David C. Green. Later he owned one of the first of the astounding and fabulous new combine harvesters in this area.

He drove the school bus for Davis County School District for 15 years. He taught music lessons to many a youngster although he himself had never had any.

He and Sylvia often attended dances in a dance hall over the Farmers Union in Layton, in the old Opera House in Kaysville where the First Ward Chapel now stands. They attended shows and dances at the Laytona where the Kowley drug now stands. It was operated by E. G. King and Mrs. King. Mr. King was principal of Layton school during the day and spent his evenings at the Laytona.

Hazen still takes his violin out and plays for the Layton Stake old folks party each year. He keeps it in an old dilapidated case which he refuses to give up although his family has tried for years to get him to accept a new one.

His five children are: Nora Burton of Kaysville, Rhea Sedgwick of Folsom, California; Faye Parker of Ogden; Lynn Adams and Kenneth Adams both of Layton. He has fifteen grandchildren.

I am not sure when the above story was written. The following are a few thoughts added by Aunt Faye:

He played on many baseball teams. He was a home teacher and secretary of the High Priest Group. He was instrumental in organizing the city of East Layton. He served on the East Layton Board of Trustees for 14 years. Dad told us three girls; Nora, Rhea, and Faye to always tell the truth then you do not have so much to remember, wondering how you said it. He kept a clean farm. He kept the ground plowed and planted and crops harvested.

He said three words that will keep you out of alot of trouble: I don't know. Also, "Don't do bad things and think you will get away with it, because it will always come home.

Faye said, "When Dad drove the school bus for 15 years, people on his route said they could set their clocks by Dad. He was always on time."

He loved the church and he loved to have visitors. He always made visitors welcome. He loved Linda and when she played "The Sting" at their 60th wedding anniversary he was so thrilled.

From Ora: Grandpa loved to tell stories of experiences of family and friends. He taught me to really appreciate my relatives. One thing that really impressed me was when he told me of the time he was at college in Logan. The professor of music heard him play his violin and pleaded with him to go to his parents and get permission to attend the Conservatory of Music in Boston. He told Grandpa not to worry about the costs as he could make arrangements for scholarships for him, and a place to live, but he would need parental consent. He said that is one thing his mother totally forbid him to do. One of her grandmothers had been born in a very aristocratic family in England. When she joined the church and moved to Utah her parents disowned her. His mother said that Hazen's ancestors gave up too much so they and their posterity could have the gospel, and she was too afraid that if he went away to Boston that he would fall away from the teachings.

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