THE TELEPHONE COMES TO LEVAN

 (Charles Mangelson is Von Christensen's great grandfather)

          Edison’s 1879 wall-mounted phone (left), the candle stick design common in the 1920’s and 1930’s (bottom), and a 1937 “cradle” telephone, a style popular since 1890 (on the right).

 

          On August 25, 1903, the first telephone line reached Levan and the first two telephones were installed.  Alma Dalby and Charles Mangelson, who was the Constable, had the first two telephones.  Thus connecting this little town with the rest of the world.

          At this same time when Juab was a rip-roaring frontier town, it had three saloons and always managed to produce its share of rough characters.

          One particular time, Antone Brown, one of Juab’s saloon keepers, called Charles on the new-fangled contraption they called “the telephone,” and was able to talk to him clear over in Levan, if you can believe that !  He told Charles that there were three men drinking heavily and causing trouble and asked Charles to come and arrest them, but that he should bring plenty of help because these men were real hard characters, and that he had better bring a wagon to haul them off to jail in.

          When Charles arrived and Antone pointed them out to him, he went up to one of them and said, “You have been disturbing the peace, and I have to arrest you and take you to jail in Nephi.”  The man sneered at him and said, “You’re  not going to take me anywhere!”

          Charles warned him that if he didn’t come peacefully that he would have to put handcuffs on him.

          Again the man sneered and disrespectfully asked, “Why don’t you just do that?”  So Charles grabbed him and forcefully put the cuffs on him and he immediately slipped right out of them.  His wrists were so large in proportion to his hands that the cuffs slipped right off when he put pressure on them!  The handcuffs were just a game for him.

          Charles warned him that he and his two pals were going to jail one way or another, and as he spoke, he was quickly drawing his pistol. 

          Staring into that large black hole at the end of the barrel of Mr. Colt’s equalizer, the three tough guys meekly climbed into the back of the wagon and they headed for Levan.

          Ordinarily he would have taken them to Nephi, but the hour was so late Charles took them to his home in Levan.  Eliza got out of bed and stoked up the kitchen stove, and cooked them a nice late supper, and then Charles bedded them down on the kitchen floor while he slept on the cot across the room in the kitchen.  It was a short night but they were all up early and Eliza cooked them a nice breakfast and then it was off to jail in Nephi.  Charles had a way with people, even the rough ones and those three never caused him any more trouble.

 

GLENN CHARLES MANGELSON

(Glen is my mother's, Vera Mangelson Christensen, brother)

 

Glenn Charles Mangelson, age 87, passed away March 2, 1994 in his son's home in Payson, Utah.

Born August 15, 1906 in Levan, Utah, to Charles and Emma Nielson Mangelson. He married Evanelle Anderson, June 7, 1933 in the Manti LDS Temple. She passed away February 7, 1982. He later married Reva Allred, March 25, 1983. She died January 18, 1994.He was educated in Levan. He was a handyman, who could fix most anything. He was employed with the BYU for 26 years. He was an active member of the LDS Church. He enjoyed gardening, working and keeping active.

Survived by two sons, Hal and Marilyn Mangelson, of Boston, Mass.; Dr. Evan and Shirley Mangelson, of Payson; 12 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren; one sister, Anna Mae and Carl Newton, Salt Lake City, Utah; one brother, Vern and Vivian Mangelson, of Levan, Utah.

Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Monday, March 7, 1994 in the Rivergrove LDS 2nd Ward, 780 North 700 West, Provo, Utah. Friends may call Sunday evening from 6-8 p.m. at the Anderson Funeral Home, 94 West 300 North, Nephi and at the church one hour prior to services. Burial in Levan Cemetery, Levan, Utah.

LORRAINE MORGAN CHRISTENSEN

Lorraine, wife of Dennis Christensen, passed away on Thursday, July 26, 2012 in Covina, California.

DENNIS JAMES CHRISTENSEN

1922 - 2012

My brother Dennis passed away on Friday, January 13, 2012 in Covina, California. He was 89 years old. He lived in the California area all his life since returning from his service in the Navy. He and Lorraine were married for 42 years.

Dennis and his wife Lorraine

James and Vera Christensen Family - Dennis is on the far right

Dennis and Lorraine loved square dancing. They would dance all over the West Coast going two or three times each week. They learned all the calls there was to learn and was at the top of the dancing circuit; they finally danced in homes with those in the that same category.

Dennis and Lorraine loved Cruising by ship. They went on cruises all over the world and loved it. Dennis would comment that after he retired at his job he was hired as a consultant for that same firm. He would work to earn enough money for a cruise and then come back and work for the next one. He and Lorraine loved to be together.

Dennis and Lorraine loved keeping fit together; they loved their water aerobics.

Dennis and Lorraine would come up to Levan and visit his parents at least once a year. Lorraine would not like to say “goodbye”, instead she would just say “we’ll see you tomorrow”.

They would always come up to Levan for the Family Reunions. Dennis was very sociable and loved seeing everyone in the family and asking about each family member.

On Monday, January 23, 2012, his birthday, he will be laid to rest in the Rose Hills Cemetery in Whittier, California.


Following are miscellaneous pictures of Dennis.

The brothers surviving Dennis in order of age - Wesley (left), Ross and Von