Relocation of Ogden Branch for the Deaf, 1917-1999 Compiled & Written by Jodi B. Kinner 2012
The early Latter-day Saints settlers entered Salt Lake Valley on July 24, 1847. The Utah pioneers were a deeply religious people and the parents of Deaf children wished for them to get education within the Utah territory. It was expensive to send children to Deaf schools outside of the territory. The closest school was Colorado School for the Deaf. The long period of separation from the family and church was unfavorable (Pace, 1946). After founding Utah School for the Deaf in Salt Lake City, Utah in 1884, the students originally attended the Protestant church because teachers who came to Utah were from Protestant backgrounds (Roberts, 1994). The Protestant influence on children concerned several Latter-day Saint parents. They asked the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to organize a Sunday School for their children. On January 10, 1892, the Church officially organized the first Sunday School in Salt Lake City with a membership of eleven boys and sixteen girls. Elder H.C. Barrell was appointed as first Superintendent of Sunday School with Elder Laron Pratt (Deaf) as his assistant (The Daily Enquirer, February 11, 1892). When the Utah School for the Deaf was moved to Ogden, the same Sunday School was offered for Deaf/blind students and adults on November 16, 1896. It was held in the old 4 th Ward Amusement Hall in Ogden (Deseret News, November 21, 1896). Eventually, the Ogden Branch for the Deaf, a Deaf-friendly designed meetinghouse for Deaf members in Ogden, was established February 14, 1917. The signing branch was made into an independent branch of the Ogden Stake. Ultimately, the branch was a model for future units for the Deaf, such as the Salt Lake Valley Deaf Ward, Los Angeles Deaf Branch, Portland Heights Deaf Branch, Fremont Deaf Branch, Gooding Deaf Branch and others all around the world (Walker, 2006). Loran Pratt. God Made Me Deaf Accounts from Deaf Latter-day Saints, 1846-1916 1
Since 1917, the members had been attending the Ogden Branch for the Deaf. On June 21, 1998, twice-called Branch President Kenneth L. Kinner of the Ogden Branch for the Deaf and other bishops were called to attend a special meeting with Stake President Mark Johnson. The meeting would cover the reorganization of the stake presidency, the redrawing of ward boundaries, and the relocation of the Ogden Branch for the Deaf to another stake ward. However, upon completion of the meeting, Branch President Kinner stepped out of the room. Heartbroken, he could not bring himself to share his news with the branch members. Gordon B. Hinckley, 15 th president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, had decided that after 82 years in the first building constructed for the Ogden Branch for the Deaf, the Branch would Kenneth L. Kinner move to a new stake building in South Ogden on January 3, 1999. Lucy Greenwood Approximately 60 members were present at the stake conference to hear the news update regarding the reorganization of the stake presidency. When Elder Pinnock broke the shocking news from the Quorums of the Seventy of the pending branch move, Branch President Kinner watched the reaction of the branch members. They expressed confusion and grief at the news. It was an emotional day for everyone as they cried over the loss of their precious branch. Lucy Greenwood, an older member of the Branch and a long time interpreter was hardest hit, as it had become her home. 2
However, it was found that the branch building was no longer convenient. During the annual Christmas party, the cultural hall overflowed. Elderly people couldn t use the stairwells. Parking was limited. But the main reason for the branch relocation was that the new ward would have a stronger priesthood support system. Upon the move to the stake building, the name of the Ogden Branch was changed to the Ogden Valley Deaf Branch. Ogden Branch for the Deaf. Photo by Kenneth L. Kinner Ogden Valley Deaf Branch 3
Note Kenneth L. Kinner, interview by Jodi B. Kinner, Relocation of the Ogden Branch for the Deaf, June 19, 2011. Bibliography A Sunday School Organized for the Deaf Mutes. The Daily Enquirer, February 11, 1892. Giles, Bobby. "Ogden Branch for the Deaf: 90th Anniversary 1917 2007." Eye-Sign Media, LLC. 2007. DVD. For Blind, Deaf, and Dumb. Deseret News, November 21, 1896. Pace, Irma Acord. A History of the Utah School for the Deaf. The Utah Eagle, vol. 58, no. 1 (October 1946): 1-33. Roberts, Elaine M. The Early History of the Utah School for the Deaf and Its influence in the Development of a Cohesive Deaf Society in Utah, circa. 1884 1905. A thesis presented to the Department of History: Brigham Young University. August 1994. Walker, Rodney W. My Life Story, 2006. 4