During a quiet moment on a ranch in southwest Wyoming, S. Reed Dayton listened as his grandson asked, "Have you ever wanted to leave Cokeville?"
Stewart Petersen said he didn't really need a response. His grandfather had spent years giving service in the town - to the Church, the school system and the community. He knew his grandfather loved his life in Cokeville, population 493.Brother Dayton's family moved to the town while he was still in high school. He worked there "putting up hay, and shearing sheep, and playing in a band at community dances."
He and his brothers found jobs as laborers on local ranches. In time they managed the ranches, and then finally bought into them.
Brother Dayton sold the family ranch in 1978, when he left Wyoming to serve as president of the Nevada Las Vegas Mission. When he returned, he and his family bought the ranch back. In 1981, the small-town rancher wasn't ready to retire. Today at age 87, he still isn't.
Brother Petersen, who starred in several movies, including Seven Alone and Where the Red Fern Grows, said his grandfather is out almost everyday carrying an irrigating shovel over his shoulder, fixing fences or checking other things that need to be done.
"He is not one to let moss grow under his feet," said Brother Petersen. "Grandpa is a doer, that is his nature. He is one that makes things happen and always has been."
Brother Dayton's daughter, Barbara Dayton Perry, agreed that her father has spent his life working hard, not only on his ranch but also in the community and the Church.
He served as a state legislator in the Wyoming House and Senate. He also was president of the school board, a deputy county assessor and an original member of the Bear River Water Commission - a position he still holds.
He was one of the first missionaries to leave Cokeville as a young man, and returned to fulfill several Church callings, including branch president, bishop, stake missionary, high councilor and stake president. He is currently a stake patriarch.
One reason for his service is his love of Cokeville. The other, his family said, his love of the Lord. "He has always been faithful, and dependable in Church callings," his son, Sharon Dayton, said, explaining that while his father served as stake president he put at least 10,000 miles a year on his cars just doing Church work.
Reed Dayton adds to the reasons for his zest for life and service, a love of his wife, Lois, who he met during high school in Cokeville. Their relationship progressed as they played music together; Brother Dayton on the banjo, his future wife on the piano.
The couple was married in 1931 and raised eight children on the Cokeville family homestead, called the Cottonwood Ranch.
Sister Dayton, a great-granddaughter of John Taylor, shares her husband's zeal for work, the Church and community service. Brother Dayton agreed, "We enjoy good music, we enjoy our Church work, we are interested in people, we always try to be friends to our neighbors."
The couple celebrated their 65th anniversary this year. Brother Dayton said he and his wife "have had a most happy life."
Two of Brother Dayton's brothers have also been married more than 60 years. Everett Dayton married Della Mounteer on July 7, 1927, and John Dayton married Goldie Dean on June 24, 1932.
Brother Dayton explained that the happiness he and his brothers have experienced in their marriages comes from "staying close to the Church."
He said he and his wife have tried to maintain a strong testimony of the gospel and to instill in their children the desire and need to gain a testimony. In his life and marriage, Brother Dayton explained, "We have been abundantly blessed, more than we deserve."
Sharon Dayton said his father's sense of humor also kept zest in his home and marriage. "There was always a dribble glass
used as a practical jokeT at someone's place at the dinner table - the kids were familiar with it, but sometimes the guests weren't," he said.
Brother Petersen said his grandfather just cares about his family. He then recalled a talk he had as a college student with his grandfather when visiting Cokeville. "My hair had gotten a little long and I was growing a mustache," Brother Petersen recalled. "Grandpa said, `Where did you get that misplaced eyebrow?' I knew he was going to lecture me on my hair. It was just a little bit longer than missionary length. . . . He has always been concerned with his posterity - even with the little things."
Today Brother Dayton still spends time with family, paying special attention to the "little ones," Brother Petersen said.
He also spends time irrigating, fixing fences and watching livestock. However, in the winter - when temperatures can drop to 30 below zero in the area - his sons run the family business. Brother Dayton explains, "the cold spells are very short, after a few days it warms up to normal, or freezing."
Despite the cold weather Brother Dayton said he has never wanted to live anywhere else. The couple still tries to attend as many high school athletic events as possible. Brother Dayton can recite the records for Cokeville's high school basketball and volleyball teams.
Sharon Dayton said the town of Cokeville - which now boasts two wards, which includes the surrounding farm areas, and more than 700 members - would not be the same if it weren't for his father. "Dad has had a big impact in Church and the community as a leader," he said. "I think the Lord could always depend on him."
