THOMAS FRANKLIN KIRKHAM

                              Another life sketch written by Bessie Laverne Kirkham Fillerup
          
                                                   THOMAS FRANKLIN KIRKHAM

THOMAS FRANKLIN KIRKHAM

Thomas spent his life in Lehi, Utah, participating, most actively  in church and civic affairs.  He graduated from Brigham Young University in 1904, majoring in business training, and has practiced accounting ever since.  He has also maintained an automobile, fire and bonding insurance agency for many years, and has been a very successful operator.

 In 1906 he was called to fulfill a mission in England.  While doing missionary work in England he was selected to resume his work in Germany.  During his proselyting in Germany,. He acquired a remarkable command of the language, and was very successful in his missionary work

 Since being released from his mission, he has assisted many young men who have been called to the German Mission, with the language and has been compliment ed many times by natives of the country of their language.  He has spent many years in church service, including the following assignments:  Counselor to President of Elders Quorum, Secretary and President of the 127^th Quorum of Seventy, Chorister in Sunday School for twenty years, forty years as Sunday School teacher, Secretary of Alpine Stake Young Men  Mutual Improvement Association, Clerk of Second Ward of Lehi for twenty

For approximately forty years he has been bookkeeper for Lehi Roller Mills.  He was a member of the Lehi Home Dramatic Company, Lehi Opera Company, Lehi Silver Band and was charter member of the Lehi Lion  Club, being its first Tail-Twister.  He was Charter member of the Lehi Chapter of Sons of the Utah Pioneers, and participated in the organization  Centennial Caravan in 1947, traveling the route taken by the 1847 Utah Pioneers./  He also participated in the Mormon Battalion Trek in 1950.  he was collected many pioneer antiques for the Sons of Utah Pioneer Village in Salt Lake City, and has restored many historical items to their original condition.  He was chairman of the Lehi Centennial History Committee, compilers of the Lehi History Volume.  Thomas was a lover of flowers.  His gardens have been a show place for many years , for he had many unusual plants resulting from his labors.

Children of Thomas Franklin and Margaret Jane Cavanaugh Kirkham

Phyllis Margaret Kirkham Owen

Bonnie Jean Kirkham Dech  (Adopted)