Oliver Cowdery Dunford
Information comes from History of Bear Lake Pioneers, pages
187-195
Oliver Cowdery Dunford was born 12 Oct 1853 in St Louis Missouri, the son of Isaac Dunford and Leah Bailey. His parents had been born in England. They stayed in St Louis for several years and finally arrived in Salt Lake 25 Sep 1864. The family was called to help settle Bear Lake and they arrived in Bloomington just before Christmas 1864.
In 1883-1884 Oliver attended the University of Deseret in Salt Lake. Oliver had a keen interest in athletic sports and became an expert dancer. He appreciated good books and poetry. He was often invited to entertain with readings and step dancing at social gatherings. He graduated from the University and then taught school in Paris. He met and married Ida Ann Osmond 30 Oct 1889 in Logan. They served a mission together right after in New Zealand.
After returning to Bloomington, Oliver purchased property, served as county assessor and taught in the public schools for 28 years. When he taught in the Ovid school in 1909 these are the students that he served during that year.
This list comes from the book, No Ordinary Man, pages 69-70, by Lois Lee Hulme
"Oliver Dunn had been instrumental in starting a high school in Paris, but must have been unable to secure a position closer to his home in Bloomington. Each morning he rode his horse a ten mile distance to Ovid. He had forty students of varying ages in his class. Even in the coldest of months of the winter, he wore only a light jacket. He told the children his secret for keeping warm was to breathe deeply and that deep breathing was good for one's health. Each day he would have the children stand and practice breathing deeply. Since he was a very good singer, most of the morning was spent in singing. Singing was where he had his best discipline, for the children of Ovid were musical and loved to sing."
Students in Oliver Dunford's 1909 class:
Sylvanis Peterson, Vurdon Humphreys, Ross Sleight, Charlie Sorenson, Harley
Mathison, Caroline Olsen,
Telbert Jensen,
Marion Beck, Lyman Lindsay, Sivel Nielson, George Meyers
Lawrence Humphreys, Willard Lindsay, Mitchell Beck, Spencer Sorenson, Lionel Lindsay, John Sleight, Lee Beck, George Sorenson, Merlin Peterson, Willard Johnson
Elgie Humphreys, Marie Nelson, Iris Lindsay, Blanche Lindsay, Leora Peterson, Rowene Myers, Selma Peterson, Iris Findlay, Dorothy Olsen, Ada Nelson, Silvia Peterson, Ida Sleight, Venice Johnson, Ethel Jensen, Geneva Nelson, Ernest Peterson.
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Montpelier Examiner, Wednesday, 3 March 1897, page 1
Prof. and Mr. O C Dunford were over from Bloomington Saturday shopping.
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Montpelier Examiner, Friday, 19 January 1900, page 1
The county teachers association will hold the first meeting of the season in Paris 1st ward hall on Saturday, the 27 inst. commencing at 10 am. A good time may be expected. The program in full will appear next week. O C Dunford
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Montpelier Examiner, Tuesday, 13 February 1900, page 4
Commissioners; the following bills were allowed and warrants ordered drawn on the Current Expense Fund:
O C Dunford, examining teacher $9.00
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Paris Post, Friday, 7 May 1909, page 1
A PLAY
The pupils of the Wardboro district school assisted by their teacher, Prof O C Dunford and other residents of that town, presented "The Confederate Spy" at Bloomington last Saturday evening.
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