1928
Max
2017
Max T Horrocks
May 18, 1928 — July 7, 2017
Max T Horrocks, 89, passed away July 7, 2017, in Salt Lake City, Utah. He was born May 18, 1928 in Neola, Utah, the second child and first son of Theron Horrocks and Lecta R. Miller. According to his mother, the sun was just rising and its rays fell on his bright red hair.
Work was the way of life for those who lived on a farm. Neola is a land of never-ending rocks that work up in the soil. Each year before spring plowing, rocks must be picked up anew. When Max was about three years of age he would pick up the largest rocks he could lift. With dirty streaks of sweat running down his face, he would say, “Me hard ‘erking’ (working).”He learned early in life the values of honest work and accepting responsibilities.
Max attended grade school in Neola Elementary for eight years. The usual things occurred during this time – mischief, sluffing and many fist fights started by those who were bigger.
The summer between ninth grade and the tenth grade, Max grew to be a big kid – 180 pounds, broad-shouldered and very strong. No one picked fights with him anymore, and he wasn’t the kind of fellow to start one. The coach stopped Max in the hall one day and wanted him to play football, and that got him started in sports. He played halfback on the team and his job was to carry the ball and make touchdowns. He was on the main football team for three years playing halfback. He played offense and defense just about all through the games. His jersey number was – for him – lucky 13.
During Max’s junior year the football team went to St. George and played Dixie High School for the State Championship and won. The score was 32 to 28. Of the 32 points Max made 27 of those points.
After fall football ended for the season, Max took up boxing for his winter sport. He always fought Heavyweight, which is 180 pounds and up. As a high school junior he fought the College Heavyweight Champion in Pocatello, Idaho. He knocked him out in two rounds. In Salt Lake City he fought in the Amateur Association of Utah and won the Junior Division Heavyweight. When Max graduated, he received a letter for boxing.
In the spring after the boxing season ended, he took up track. He was on the track team for three years, running the 100 and 200 yard dash, the 440 yard relay, and also was excellent at the Shot Put Throw. He was known as the “rugged boy” from Neola. He excelled in sports – they all came naturally to him.
In his Senior year he was chosen as the Captain of the football team. He was also Student Body President of Roosevelt High.
During football season there was a pretty girl who was one of the cheerleaders. She was a year older than him in school and he wanted to go out with her. Max went with this girl off and on for the next two years having lots of fun going to dances and shows. On Graduation Night, Max received the Cecil Jenkins All-Around Athletic Trophy for being “most outstanding in sports for four years.” Max also gave his sweet girlfriend her engagement ring. He won a football scholarship to any college in the mid-west but gave it up to marry this pretty little girl – Rose Afton Roberts – on January 8, 1947 in the Salt Lake Temple.
After a couple of days Afton went home to Roosevelt to wait while her young husband stayed in Salt Lake at his grandfather Roger Horrocks’ place and started looking for a job. Max had two or three part time jobs before he started working at the Salt Lake Flour Mill on March 7, 1947. He worked hard for about a ten-year period and then was made foreman, a position he held until he retired in January of 2002.
Max and Afton spent eight years living in Salt Lake City in a duplex. He worked four years to save money for a car. It was a brand new, beautiful red Ninety-eight Oldsmobile costing $3,800.00.
Two little girls were born while they lived in the duplex apartment – Melanie Rose and Kimberly Ann.
The parents continued saving money, and Max took on many extra shifts at work so that the family could build a home and move to Holladay in 1955.
In 1956 a third daughter was born named Deidre Lee. She was followed by three sons, Quinn Max in 1960, Kyle Theron in 1963 and Chad Roger in 1968.
In 1962 Arnold Friberg asked Max if he would like to pose (for free) for some biblical paintings that he was doing for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Twice a week for six months he posed, and came home exhausted from pulling an 85 pound bow, hefting a 120 pound sack of flour (for a calendar Mr. Friberg was also painting), kneeling at the foot of Christ (leaning forward with all of his weight on his arms and hands so that his muscles would bulge).
Max was always looking for ways to earn a little extra money for his young family. He dug graves with Ray Phillips for $10 – no matter what time of year. He helped with the chocolates in the Phillips Candy Factory.
Max accepted many callings but his favorite was working with the youth, whether in the MIA or in Scouting. After their children were married with families of their own, Max and Afton were called on a two-year Stake Mission, followed by an Inner City Mission for 18 months.
Dad was a man with a ready smile and a firm handshake. He liked people and was often doing service by hauling hay on the Stake Farm, shoveling driveways by hand for the neighbors, mowing someone’s lawn without pay, fixing broken sprinklers for a friend, or by donating his O negative blood which added up over the years to gallons. He loved to exercise. He was a boy at heart, a practical joker, often with a brother or brother-in-law as accomplice. Most of all, he was a man who loved his sweetheart, and when she passed away in July 2004, he felt that he was only half alive.
Mom asked him once to give his grandchildren some advice.
This is it:
“Stay with the Gospel teachings. Respect your parents and be kind. Value what life has to offer you and make the most of opportunity. And, don’t be afraid of work!”
Survived by : Melanie (Richard) West, Kim (Mike) Foster, Deidre (Mark) Conover, Quinn (Ruth) Horrocks, Kyle (Isabelle) Horrocks, Chad (Alisha) Horrocks, brothers Jay (Elaine) and Blaine (JoAnne), sister-in-law Merle Edwards, brother-in-law and sister-in-law Lorell and Pauline Roberts, 33 grandchildren, 34 great grandchildren. Preceded in death by parents, sister Deane Jennings, brother Don, brothers-in-law Mirl Jennings and Charles Edwards, brother-in-law and sister-in-law Karl and Betty Roberts, son-in-law Mike Foster, and great grandchild Gavin Roark.
Special thanks go to Rebecca, Jan and Ted for their loving care on behalf of our father. Service Information
Viewing July 14, 2017 at 6:00-7:00 PM
Memorial Holladay-Cottonwood Mortuary, 4670 South Highland Drive, Holladay, Utah 84117
Viewing July 15, 2017 at 10:00-10:045 AM
Holladay 4th Ward, 4917 Viewmont Street, Holladay, Utah 84117
Funeral Service
July 15, 2017 at 11:00 AM
Holladay 4th Ward, 4917 Viewmont Street, Holladay, Utah 84117
Work was the way of life for those who lived on a farm. Neola is a land of never-ending rocks that work up in the soil. Each year before spring plowing, rocks must be picked up anew. When Max was about three years of age he would pick up the largest rocks he could lift. With dirty streaks of sweat running down his face, he would say, “Me hard ‘erking’ (working).”He learned early in life the values of honest work and accepting responsibilities.
Max attended grade school in Neola Elementary for eight years. The usual things occurred during this time – mischief, sluffing and many fist fights started by those who were bigger.
The summer between ninth grade and the tenth grade, Max grew to be a big kid – 180 pounds, broad-shouldered and very strong. No one picked fights with him anymore, and he wasn’t the kind of fellow to start one. The coach stopped Max in the hall one day and wanted him to play football, and that got him started in sports. He played halfback on the team and his job was to carry the ball and make touchdowns. He was on the main football team for three years playing halfback. He played offense and defense just about all through the games. His jersey number was – for him – lucky 13.
During Max’s junior year the football team went to St. George and played Dixie High School for the State Championship and won. The score was 32 to 28. Of the 32 points Max made 27 of those points.
After fall football ended for the season, Max took up boxing for his winter sport. He always fought Heavyweight, which is 180 pounds and up. As a high school junior he fought the College Heavyweight Champion in Pocatello, Idaho. He knocked him out in two rounds. In Salt Lake City he fought in the Amateur Association of Utah and won the Junior Division Heavyweight. When Max graduated, he received a letter for boxing.
In the spring after the boxing season ended, he took up track. He was on the track team for three years, running the 100 and 200 yard dash, the 440 yard relay, and also was excellent at the Shot Put Throw. He was known as the “rugged boy” from Neola. He excelled in sports – they all came naturally to him.
In his Senior year he was chosen as the Captain of the football team. He was also Student Body President of Roosevelt High.
During football season there was a pretty girl who was one of the cheerleaders. She was a year older than him in school and he wanted to go out with her. Max went with this girl off and on for the next two years having lots of fun going to dances and shows. On Graduation Night, Max received the Cecil Jenkins All-Around Athletic Trophy for being “most outstanding in sports for four years.” Max also gave his sweet girlfriend her engagement ring. He won a football scholarship to any college in the mid-west but gave it up to marry this pretty little girl – Rose Afton Roberts – on January 8, 1947 in the Salt Lake Temple.
After a couple of days Afton went home to Roosevelt to wait while her young husband stayed in Salt Lake at his grandfather Roger Horrocks’ place and started looking for a job. Max had two or three part time jobs before he started working at the Salt Lake Flour Mill on March 7, 1947. He worked hard for about a ten-year period and then was made foreman, a position he held until he retired in January of 2002.
Max and Afton spent eight years living in Salt Lake City in a duplex. He worked four years to save money for a car. It was a brand new, beautiful red Ninety-eight Oldsmobile costing $3,800.00.
Two little girls were born while they lived in the duplex apartment – Melanie Rose and Kimberly Ann.
The parents continued saving money, and Max took on many extra shifts at work so that the family could build a home and move to Holladay in 1955.
In 1956 a third daughter was born named Deidre Lee. She was followed by three sons, Quinn Max in 1960, Kyle Theron in 1963 and Chad Roger in 1968.
In 1962 Arnold Friberg asked Max if he would like to pose (for free) for some biblical paintings that he was doing for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Twice a week for six months he posed, and came home exhausted from pulling an 85 pound bow, hefting a 120 pound sack of flour (for a calendar Mr. Friberg was also painting), kneeling at the foot of Christ (leaning forward with all of his weight on his arms and hands so that his muscles would bulge).
Max was always looking for ways to earn a little extra money for his young family. He dug graves with Ray Phillips for $10 – no matter what time of year. He helped with the chocolates in the Phillips Candy Factory.
Max accepted many callings but his favorite was working with the youth, whether in the MIA or in Scouting. After their children were married with families of their own, Max and Afton were called on a two-year Stake Mission, followed by an Inner City Mission for 18 months.
Dad was a man with a ready smile and a firm handshake. He liked people and was often doing service by hauling hay on the Stake Farm, shoveling driveways by hand for the neighbors, mowing someone’s lawn without pay, fixing broken sprinklers for a friend, or by donating his O negative blood which added up over the years to gallons. He loved to exercise. He was a boy at heart, a practical joker, often with a brother or brother-in-law as accomplice. Most of all, he was a man who loved his sweetheart, and when she passed away in July 2004, he felt that he was only half alive.
Mom asked him once to give his grandchildren some advice.
This is it:
“Stay with the Gospel teachings. Respect your parents and be kind. Value what life has to offer you and make the most of opportunity. And, don’t be afraid of work!”
Survived by : Melanie (Richard) West, Kim (Mike) Foster, Deidre (Mark) Conover, Quinn (Ruth) Horrocks, Kyle (Isabelle) Horrocks, Chad (Alisha) Horrocks, brothers Jay (Elaine) and Blaine (JoAnne), sister-in-law Merle Edwards, brother-in-law and sister-in-law Lorell and Pauline Roberts, 33 grandchildren, 34 great grandchildren. Preceded in death by parents, sister Deane Jennings, brother Don, brothers-in-law Mirl Jennings and Charles Edwards, brother-in-law and sister-in-law Karl and Betty Roberts, son-in-law Mike Foster, and great grandchild Gavin Roark.
Special thanks go to Rebecca, Jan and Ted for their loving care on behalf of our father. Service Information
Viewing July 14, 2017 at 6:00-7:00 PM
Memorial Holladay-Cottonwood Mortuary, 4670 South Highland Drive, Holladay, Utah 84117
Viewing July 15, 2017 at 10:00-10:045 AM
Holladay 4th Ward, 4917 Viewmont Street, Holladay, Utah 84117
Funeral Service
July 15, 2017 at 11:00 AM
Holladay 4th Ward, 4917 Viewmont Street, Holladay, Utah 84117
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