Bishop Moroni Timbimboo at Washakie

Written by Vernal Willie

Submitted by Vernal Willie

Bishop Moroni Timbimboo at Washakie

I became acquainted with Bishop Moroni Timbimboo during the 1930s with I had charge of the work for the United States Farm Credit Administration in northern Utah. He used to borrow from our department to help him in his farming operations. He never borrowed more than he needed. He never borrowed more than he could pay back. I knew him to be strictly honest and dependable in every way.

On July 10, 1968, I took a box of cherries to him at Washakie [Utah]. He will be 80 years old on August 1. His wife is 75. He has a very comfortable, well kept home and an attractive yard with shrubs, trees, flowers, and garden. Sister Timbimboo said that she had bottled six pints of gooseberries that morning. They said that they had nine children in their family, and then had 20 grandchildren, and seven great-grandchildren. They showed me pictures of their family. They are all nice looking. They were married in the Logan Temple and have now been married for 58 years.

His parents were members of the Church, and he was baptized when eight years old in the Malad River, east of Washakie. Sister Timbimboo was baptized in the canal above town. He secured his education in the one-room Washakie School. Due to the fact that they changed teachers each year, he said he had the same reading books for about three years, and he could read the stories with his eyes shut. The boys at that time were more interested in horses than in school. He thought that he finished about the fourth grade.

A few years before he had been operated on for gallstones. The doctor in the hospital said that he had a body as well and strong as if he were only 16 years old. He laid this to his strict observance of the Word of Wisdom, as he had never used tobacco, liquor, tea, or coffee. He mentioned that in the legions of the Indians they tell of a period of intense darkness when there was no light, as recorded in the Book of Mormon, and that they were descendants of two brothers.

He told me that about 40 years ago, he had boarded the valley train which ran from Malad [Idaho] to Brigham City [Utah], and then returned to Malad in the afternoon. He got off at Garland [Utah] to do some shopping for his family. He was just finishing his shopping when he heard the whistle of the train coming into Garland. He hurriedly gathered up his packages and started to run for the railroad depot, as he did not want to walk the 17 miles back to Washakie.

As he reached the depot the train had already started out. He dashed to catch the passenger car. As he jumped on the bottom step, his foot slipped and went in between the two steps, as these were open steps with no back to them. He fell to the ground, his hat and packages scattering in all directions. He tried to get his foot loose from between the steps by twisting and turning, but all to no avail. He was being drug along the ground on his back. No one in the train had noticed him.

Ahead he could see the cattle guard fence which kept livestock out of the railroad right of way. He could see that if he were drug into this fence, it would throw his body over under the wheels of the train to his destruction. He cried out to his Father in Heaven for deliverance from this impending death. He said that immediately he was boosted up, so that he could catch hold of the hand rails on the side of the steps, just in time to miss the guard fence. He quickly released his foot from between the steps and climbed up the steps to the platform above to get his breath and recover from his fright, as he was shaking like a leaf. The train was about up to Riverside [Utah] by the time he had partially regained his composure, and then to his great surprise, he found his hat safely on his head and the packages which had been scattered on the Garland platform were safely in his arms undamaged.

He concluded this incident by saying the Lord evidently had important work yet for him to do in life. This was true, as he was ordained a Bishop by President George Albert Smith the same year the Washakie Chapel was dedicated, and he served for 7½ years as Bishop of the Washakie Ward. He was released when he moved away to work at Clearfield [Utah].

I have always valued this testimony of Bishop Timbimboo, as I know it is true and correct.

FamilySearch

I knew him to be strictly honest and dependable....

The boys at that time were more interested in horses than in school.

...his foot slipped and went in between the two steps....

...the Lord evidently had important work yet for him to do in life.

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I became acquainted with Bishop Moroni Timbimboo during the 1930s with I had charge of the work for the United States Farm Credit Administration in northern Utah. He used to borrow from our department to help him in his farming operations. He never borrowed more than he needed. He never borrowed more than he could pay back. I knew him to be strictly honest and dependable in every way.

On July 10, 1968, I took a box of cherries to him at Washakie [Utah]. He will be 80 years old on August 1. His wife is 75. He has a very comfortable, well kept home and an attractive yard with shrubs, trees, flowers, and garden. Sister Timbimboo said that she had bottled six pints of gooseberries that morning. They said that they had nine children in their family, and then had 20 grandchildren, and seven great-grandchildren. They showed me pictures of their family. They are all nice looking. They were married in the Logan Temple and have now been married for 58 years.

His parents were members of the Church, and he was baptized when eight years old in the Malad River, east of Washakie. Sister Timbimboo was baptized in the canal above town. He secured his education in the one-room Washakie School. Due to the fact that they changed teachers each year, he said he had the same reading books for about three years, and he could read the stories with his eyes shut. The boys at that time were more interested in horses than in school. He thought that he finished about the fourth grade.

A few years before he had been operated on for gallstones. The doctor in the hospital said that he had a body as well and strong as if he were only 16 years old. He laid this to his strict observance of the Word of Wisdom, as he had never used tobacco, liquor, tea, or coffee. He mentioned that in the legions of the Indians they tell of a period of intense darkness when there was no light, as recorded in the Book of Mormon, and that they were descendants of two brothers.

He told me that about 40 years ago, he had boarded the valley train which ran from Malad [Idaho] to Brigham City [Utah], and then returned to Malad in the afternoon. He got off at Garland [Utah] to do some shopping for his family. He was just finishing his shopping when he heard the whistle of the train coming into Garland. He hurriedly gathered up his packages and started to run for the railroad depot, as he did not want to walk the 17 miles back to Washakie.

As he reached the depot the train had already started out. He dashed to catch the passenger car. As he jumped on the bottom step, his foot slipped and went in between the two steps, as these were open steps with no back to them. He fell to the ground, his hat and packages scattering in all directions. He tried to get his foot loose from between the steps by twisting and turning, but all to no avail. He was being drug along the ground on his back. No one in the train had noticed him.

Ahead he could see the cattle guard fence which kept livestock out of the railroad right of way. He could see that if he were drug into this fence, it would throw his body over under the wheels of the train to his destruction. He cried out to his Father in Heaven for deliverance from this impending death. He said that immediately he was boosted up, so that he could catch hold of the hand rails on the side of the steps, just in time to miss the guard fence. He quickly released his foot from between the steps and climbed up the steps to the platform above to get his breath and recover from his fright, as he was shaking like a leaf. The train was about up to Riverside [Utah] by the time he had partially regained his composure, and then to his great surprise, he found his hat safely on his head and the packages which had been scattered on the Garland platform were safely in his arms undamaged.

He concluded this incident by saying the Lord evidently had important work yet for him to do in life. This was true, as he was ordained a Bishop by President George Albert Smith the same year the Washakie Chapel was dedicated, and he served for 7½ years as Bishop of the Washakie Ward. He was released when he moved away to work at Clearfield [Utah].

I have always valued this testimony of Bishop Timbimboo, as I know it is true and correct.