Early Years and Military Service
Lee was born in Price, Utah, on January 7, 1899 to Arthur J. Lee (died 1934) and Ida Mae (Leiter) Lee (1874–1980). When he was five the family moved to Fruita, Colorado where they remained until he was in the eighth grade. The family then returned to Price.
During World War I, Lee served in the U.S. Army, lying about his age and passing up his high school graduation in order to enlist. During training in California, the Army kept him there as a trainer for the soldiers going to Europe, believing that he had the excellent people skills needed for this job. This was a decision that Lee initially regretted, as he wished to serve in combat. After the war, he joined his father in the insurance business in Price prior to going into politics.
In 1920 Lee married Nellie Pace with whom he had a daughter, Helen (Nelson) (died 2005). Two years later Nellie became seriously ill, with pneumonia, and then with Hodgkin's disease, of which she died in 1926. The medical expenses from her illness placed Lee in considerable debt. Until the debts were paid, Lee moved into his own garage and rented out his house. Another way he tried to save money was by eating only one hamburger and drinking a quart of milk a day. During this time, his daughter went to live with a grandmother. This experience led to him forming his fiscal conservative views, as he vowed he'd never go into debt again.
On February 23, 1928, he married Margaret Draper (1909–1989) of Wellington, Utah. They had three children, a son, James (born 1930), a daughter, Jon (Taylor) (born 1935), and a son, Richard (born 1944). Margaret fueled Lee's political ambition and had a remarkable memory for names. They were married for over 60 years, until Margaret’s death in 1989.
Read more about this topic: J. Bracken Lee
Famous quotes containing the words early, years, military and/or service:
“Early education can only promise to help make the third and fourth and fifth years of life good ones. It cannot insure without fail that any tomorrow will be successful. Nothing “fixes” a child for life, no matter what happens next. But exciting, pleasing early experiences are seldom sloughed off. They go with the child, on into first grade, on into the child’s long life ahead.”
—James L. Hymes, Jr. (20th century)
“Some of these people need ten years of therapy—ten sentences of mine do not equal ten years of therapy.”
—Jeff Zaslow (b. 1925)
“The transformation of the impossible into reality is always the mark of a demonic will. The only way to recognize a military genius is by the fact that, during the war, he will mock the rules of warfare and will employ creative improvisation instead of tested methods and he will do so at the right moment.”
—Stefan Zweig (18811942)
“I like the silent church before the service begins, better than any preaching. How far off, how cool, how chaste the persons look, begirt each one with a precinct or sanctuary!”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)