Ferron Peach Days grand marshals: Alta and Sam Singleton

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Samuel Morris Singleton was born October 19, 1927 in Ferron, the son of Morris Samuel and Mary Elva Huntsman Singleton. He received his early education at Ferron Elementary School and graduated from South Emery High School in 1945 as valedictorian of his class. He attended Carbon College and received a B.S. degree from Brigham Young University in Secondary Education. He later attended Utah State University and received a Master’s Degree in Educational Administration in 1969.
He began teaching English and speech at South Emery High School and then served two years in the army during the Korean conflict. He returned to South Emery and taught there until Emery County High School was opened in 1962.
He taught in Emery County High school until 1972. When the new San Rafael Junior High School was opened he was appointed principal of that school. He retired in 1991 after 41 years as an educator. His interests have been varied. He maintains the farm his grandfather, Samuel Singleton, operated in the 1880s, and enjoys livestock raising and outdoor work. Many hours during his youth were spent helping at the family store that was established in the 1890s by his grandfather.
He has served as president of the Emery Education Association, and was chairman of the Emery County Republican Organization for 10 years. Since 200l Sam has served on the Emery County Board of Education. He has been called to speak at scores of funerals throughout the state during the past years. He enjoys playing the organ and is frequently asked to do so on special occasions.
He is an active member of the LDS Church and served in many positions. He was the last bishop to serve in the original Ferron Ward from 1972 until 1978. He and his wife, Alta, enjoyed an assignment as ordinance workers in the Manti Temple. In 1996, he was called as president of the Castle Valley Pageant. He served for seven years until 2003. During this time many improvements were made to the site including electrical power, new benches, cemented terraces, a new missionary booth, and many other special projects.
During his assignment in the Army, while stationed in Denver, Colo, he met his wife, Alta Mae Brown. She was born Sept. 13, 1929 in Lake Village, Arkansas to Guy Jay and Ethel Elizabeth May Brown. She moved to Colorado at the age of five and was educated in Stratton and Boulder, Colorado, graduating from Boulder High school in 1947. She graduated from the University of Colorado with a B.S. in l951.
After graduating, she worked in Denver for the Samsonite Luggage Co. from 1951-1953. She served an LDS mission to Argentina from 1953-1955 and upon her release she was married to Samuel Singleton in the Salt Lake Temple. She taught mathematics and science at South Emery High School, taught in the LDS Seminary system, and worked as an engineering technician for the Soil Conservation Service during the construction of the Millsite Dam. She also worked for Johansen and Tuttle Engineering, as a bookkeeper for several Ferron businesses, and as Ferron City Clerk. She also enjoys working in many capacities in the LDS Church including many years as a librarian at the Family History Center.
Sam and Alta are the parents of three sons; Morris, born June 24, 1965, attended Utah State University and is now a laboratory technician at PacifiCorp’s Hunter Power Plant; Kyle, born Dec. 27, 1958, and is now an engineer at Hunter Power Plant; Myron born May 17, 1962, and is now an engineer at Basin Electric Power Plant at Wheatland, Wyo.
Sam and Alta live in the original Samuel Singleton home built in 1896. This home has been placed on the National Register of Historic Sites.
Ferron City is proud of Sam and Alta and thank them for being their grand marshals for Peach Days and the Fair Days parade.