Past Featured Persons

Francis Mitchell Deschamps - Celebrating 100 years - October 4, 2001

Francis Mitchell Deschamps was born October 4, 1901, to Francis Mitchell Deschamps and Hannah Evans Deschamps at Malad, Idaho.  He grew up in St. John and went to school at St. John and Malad.  Mitchell's father died when Mitchell was nine years old.  Mitchell, being the oldest of five children, took on the responsibility and duty to help care for his mother and family.  He left school at age 16 to run their farms with the help of his younger brothers.  Running the farms was done with horses, and the family's transportation was a white topped buggy and surrey, saddle horses and a sleigh.  Mitchell was married to Lysle Lusk for sixty four years.  He then married Genessee Roderick and she passed away after they had been married one year.  He has been married to Olive Adams for eleven years.  

His daughter, Yvonne says her Dad is a family man and generous to a fault.  He cares about the underdog.  He loves parades and the theater.  He is a a man of energy who never loses interest.  He likes trees, and has made a study of tree rings and made furniture from them.  He loves to restore old machinery.  He took up painting at age 90.

His son, Marne says that his father set a wonderful example for him.  He taught him to have a good character, to have a love for the gospel of Jesus Christ, and to be respectful to others.  His father has been through very much in his lifetime--the Depression and death of two sons and  his father at an early age.  He has patience and compassion for family and friends alike.

His daughter Paula says her heart fills with pride and admiration for the kind, loving, honest, supportive, patient and giving person her Dad is.  She says one of her Dad's greatest virtues is his unchanging patience.  It's like that of Job's----always there.  His faith in God and doing what's right and being honest has always been his trademark.  To sum it up, my Dad taught me honesty, faith, patience and long suffering, conservatism, love for my fellowmen, love of the outdoors, animals and how to enjoy life.   

Francis Mitchell Deschamps is an active, interesting individual that has seen much of the world and the happenings of the last one hundred years.  Everyone should have the pleasure of sitting under the shade tree, sharing time with this fantastic man, reminiscing  about the things he has seen over the last one hundred years.  What a treasure of knowledge he is and the changes he has seen and been a part of..